Department for Transport

Bus Services: West Yorkshire

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for transport in West Yorkshire of extending the Bus Recovery Grant.

Karl McCartney: The Government has provided over £2 billion of support through emergency and recovery grants to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on bus and light rail services. A further £184 million in funding has been provided to continue supporting the sector following the Covid-19 pandemic until October 2022 to give services the maximum amount of time to recover. West Yorkshire Combined Authority has received over £8 million in emergency and recovery grant funding. A condition of this new funding is that both Local Transport Authorities and operators must work together to assess the impact of funding ending in October and to ensure that effective and financially sustainable networks, which cater for the needs of the local public, are implemented once recovery funding ends. There are no plans to extend bus and light rail recovery funding beyond October 2022. The Government has also provided over £2.5 billion in new funding to support improvements to bus services. West Yorkshire Combined Authority has received an indicative allocation of £70 million with which to deliver its Bus Service Improvement Plan.

Aviation: Commonwealth Games 2022

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he will take to help manage the effect of flight cancellations on the running of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Robert Courts: My Department has been closely engaging with the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, along with Birmingham and Heathrow airports. Both airports have put in place plans in collaboration with the Organising Committee to manage arrivals for the Commonwealth Games. Over the coming week the Organising Committee with support from my Department will be actively monitoring the arrivals of Games Family and athletes. We know the aviation sector has faced challenges in recent months and we reacted quickly to support the industry, now the sector itself needs to take the appropriate steps to ensure realistic schedules are in place and customers adequately supported. This includes those coming to the UK for the Commonwealth Games.

Airlines: Staff

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) dates of meetings between Ministers in his Department with airline operators since 2 May 2021.

Robert Courts: Ministers regularly meet with airline operators. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK.

Motability

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of the availability of the Driving Mobility Assessments on people receiving a vehicle as part of the Motability scheme.

Wendy Morton: The Motability scheme enables disabled people, their families and carers to lease a car using their disability benefit. The scheme is overseen by the independent charity Motability, and is not the responsibility of the Department for Transport. The Department provides funding for the mobility centres across England which provide driving, passenger and wheelchair and scooter assessments. Driving Mobility, the charity which manages and accredits the centres, has a service level agreement in place with Motability for the provision of these assessments, and has reported no current issues with their availability.

Driving Tests: Fees and Charges

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential merits of reducing the cost of driving tests for people in receipt of benefits.

Karl McCartney: Driving test fees are set in legislation and cannot be reduced within existing provisions.

Railway Stations: North West

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking in partnership with local transport authorities to improve accessibility at railway stations in the North West.

Wendy Morton: I remain committed to improving accessibility for all passengers at rail stations. I recently announced the next round of Access for All nominations. Any station currently without step-free access will be eligible. I am also carrying out a full accessibility audit of all stations in Great Britain to understand where we need to do more to improve accessibility.

Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton Railway Line

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the time it will take to consider an Outline Business Case for track upgrades on the Shrewsbury to Birmingham railway line.

Wendy Morton: I expect to receive a Strategic Outline Business Case for the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line Speed scheme from Midlands Connect soon. All business cases are subject to the Government’s Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline processes which ensure projects are affordable, represent value for money and support our strategic priorities.

Railway Stations: Disability

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Northern Rail on the (a) efficacy and (b) practical workings of its Accessible Travel Policy including the policy of arranging alternative transport when a customer cannot access a platform.

Wendy Morton: There is robust and locally-based periodic and day-to-day management of the Northern Trains Limited contract, through the Rail North Partnership, including in the area of Accessibility.

Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen: Industrial Disputes and Pay

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) on (a) train driver pay and (b) the strike action planned for 30 July 2022.

Wendy Morton: Negotiations on matters such as pay must take place between the trade unions and the employer. In this case the employers are the train operating companies, who are holding negotiations with trade unions via the Rail Delivery Group. The Secretary of State is in close touch with the industry on the negotiations and frequently engages with them.

Department for Transport: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.

Trudy Harrison: The Department publishes information on all tenders and contracts over £10,000 and a list of the consultancy contracts can be found via the link below:Contracts Finder - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The Department is also fully committed to the Government’s transparency agenda and publishes details of expenditure, including consultancy spend, over £25,000 by month. This information can be found via the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dft-departmental-spending-over-25000

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Minimum Wage

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will undertake an assessment of the potential benefits of implementing £15 an hour minimum wage.

Jane Hunt: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Financial Services: Environment Protection

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what (a) organisations and (b) individuals his Department has met as part of the development of the Government response to the consultation on the Green Finance Strategy.

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on the Green Finance Strategy following the closure of the call for evidence on that strategy.

Greg Hands: The Government has committed to updating its Green Finance Strategy. In order to support this, on 11th May the Government published a Call for Evidence which was open until 22nd June. Whilst the Call for Evidence was open, BEIS officials met with a range of organisations through a series of stakeholder roundtables. Attendees ranged from central and local Government colleagues, civil society groups, financial institutions and companies. Since the Call for Evidence closed, officials in the Department have been carefully assessing responses and will seek to use evidence gathered to develop policy proposals.

Financial Services: Environment Protection

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many responses his Department received to its consultation on the Green Finance Strategy.

Greg Hands: In response to its Green Finance Strategy consultation, the Government received 145 responses from organisations, and over 1,250 responses from individuals.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Pay

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the report entitled Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Framework Document 2021, published on 15 June 2021, whether there is a difference between the public sector pay remit noted in paragraph 10.4(c) and the civil service pay remit noted in paragraph 10.11.

Greg Hands: There is no difference between the public sector pay remit and the civil service pay remit.

Electricity Generation

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the appropriate level of spare electrical generating capacity to ensure continuity of supply over the winter.

Greg Hands: The Government has already procured the capacity needed to allow the Electricity System Operator (ESO) to meet peak demand in a range of scenarios this winter. This included procuring the maximum capacity possible (almost 5GW) in the recent year-ahead Capacity Market auction.The Government has taken further steps to reinforce our energy security by extending certain coal plants’ operations to provide additional generation if needed.The Government works closely with the ESO to continually monitor electricity supply and demand. The ESO will publish its annual Winter Outlook in the autumn, which will provide a detailed assessment of the capacity available this winter.

Natural Gas

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that domestic consumers are prioritised in the distribution of domestically produced gas.

Greg Hands: Energy security is a top priority for this Government. Great Britain benefits from highly diverse and flexible sources of gas supply and a diverse electricity mix, which ensures that households, businesses, and heavy industry get the energy they need. The Government remains confident that Great Britain's energy security will be maintained. In the event of a gas supply emergency, National Grid Gas, as the system operator, has long-standing response plans that prioritise domestic customers.

Wind Power

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to incentivise new onshore wind projects.

Greg Hands: The Government is providing ongoing support to onshore wind via the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. In July 2022, the results of allocation round four of the CfD were published. Onshore wind secured support for almost 900MW of capacity. There will be annual CfD auctions to accelerate low carbon electricity generation from 2023. Furthermore, as set out in the British Energy Security Strategy the Government will consult this year on developing local partnerships for supportive communities in England who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for benefits, such as lower energy bills.

Fracking

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to assess the long-term carbon emissions impact of a renewed shale gas industry in his decision on lifting the outstanding moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.

Greg Hands: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on 6 July 2022 to Question 28901.

Climate Change: British Overseas Territories

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the response of Oversea Territories on tackling climate change.

Greg Hands: Responsibility for the environment and climate change policy is devolved to the Overseas Territories, although the UK is responsible for extension of international treaties to them. The Government is working with the Overseas Territories on extension of the UK ratification of the Paris Agreement to those that are eligible and that formally request it. The extension process will include an assessment of Overseas Territories’ climate action plans.

Electricity: Imports

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much electricity has been imported in each of the last five years; and what proportion of final demand those imports represented.

Greg Hands: Data on the supply and consumption of electricity is available in Energy Trends table 5.2, with more detailed information on imports, exports and transfers available in table 5.6: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electricity-section-5-energy-trends.

Energy: Standing Charges

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April to Question 155863, on Energy: Standing Charges, what recent assessment he has made of the role of Ofgem in relation to the way in which suppliers set the standing charge and unit rate in those cases where the price cap is not triggered; and what recent discussions he has had with (a) energy suppliers and (b) Ofgem about the apportionment of energy bills between standing charges and unit rates.

Greg Hands: For tariffs that are caught by the price cap, and for tariffs which are not caught by the cap, suppliers can decide how they structure their standing charges. Ofgem requires energy suppliers to separate out the standing charge from the energy unit rate so consumers can see what the different charges amount to. The Government has regular discussions with energy suppliers and Ofgem on a range of issues, including standing charges. Ofgem is currently consulting on a review of part of the standing charge in relation to the Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) costs: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/open-letter-review-how-costs-supplier-failure-are-recovered.

Mathematics: Research

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the announcement of 27 January 2020 entitled Boost for UK science with unlimited visa offer to world's brightest and best, what estimate he has made of when the £300 million ringfenced additional funding for research into mathematical sciences will be received by UKRI.

Jane Hunt: UKRI’s council level allocations were published on 30 May. The total UKRI allocation is £25.1 billion for 2022-25 and will reach its highest ever level in 2024-25 (over £8.8 billion).  This multi-year settlement provides UKRI and its constituent research councils with stability and certainty to deliver world class research and innovation across their portfolio, including in mathematical sciences.As part of the Additional Funding Programme for Mathematical Sciences, UKRI have committed £124 million out to 2028-29. UKRI will seek further opportunities to support mathematical research as it moves towards greater collective management of its funding, creating a portfolio of investments.

Heat Pumps: Sales

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of heat pumps that UK boiler manufacturers must sell to avoid a penalty under the market mechanism, in (a) 2024, (b) 2025 and (c) 2026.

Greg Hands: Work is ongoing to develop sensible annual targets for the clean heat market mechanism, and the different means by which obligated parties will be able to achieve them. The Government will consult again in due course.

Heat Pumps

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Heat Pump Ready Programme, what estimate he has made of the number of installers that will be required to meet the target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028.

Greg Hands: The Heat Pump Association has estimated that over 30,000 heat pump installers will be needed by 2028.

Coal

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the announcement made on 30 June 2021 that the Government would remove unabated coal from the UK’s energy mix by 2024, whether that remains the Government's policy; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: The Government remains committed to phasing out unabated coal generation by October 2024. The UK has already made excellent progress in reducing coal usage, with coal’s share of our electricity supply falling from 40% in 2012 to less than 2% in 2020.

Boilers and Heat Pumps

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the average time required to fit (a) an air-sourced heat pump and (b) a gas boiler in the Heat and Building Strategy, published in October 2021.

Greg Hands: The time taken to install a heating appliance will vary, based upon the complexity of installation and whether it is a first-time installation or replacement. Research suggests that on average it takes five person-days for a first-time installation of an air source heat pump. Evidence from manufacturers suggests that installing a gas boiler takes one to three person-days.

Galliford Try and Kier Group: Audit

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings he or his Ministers have held with the Financial Reporting Council since the fines issued in June 2022 to PWC for their audits of Kier and of Galliford.

Jane Hunt: Ministers have not met with the Financial Reporting Council in response to fines issued in June 2022 to PWC for their audits of Kier and of Galliford.

EY: Fines

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings he or his Ministers have held with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US in response to its record fine against audit firm Ernst & Young in June 2022 for cheating on professional education courses to maintain its certified public accountant licensure; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Hunt: Ministers have not met with the Securities and Exchange Commission in response to its fine against Ernst & Young.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Aviation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much their Office has spent on air travel for (a) Ministers and (b) officials in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

Conor Burns: The amount spent by the Department on air travel is:(a) Ministers(i) 2020 - £163,557(ii) 2021 - £36,845(iii) 2022 - £79,474(b) Officials(i) 2020 - £350,749(ii) 2021 - £24,981(iii) 2022 - £198,316 Please note that the Officials totals include Special Adviser air travel costs and that the spend reported does also not distinguish between commercial and non-commercial air travel.Ministers commercial air travel is captured in departmental transparency returns and published on gov.uk.

Northern Ireland Office: Ministerial Changes

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will publish all emails from the Department's Permanent Secretary to departmental staff informing them of the appointment of a new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Conor Burns: The Permanent Secretary for the Northern Ireland Office issued the following email to Northern Ireland Office staff on Thursday 7 July, at 12:39, informing them of a new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: “Colleagues You will have seen the news that we have a new Secretary of State.  I am delighted to welcome back to the Department Shailesh Vara, MP for North West Cambridgeshire. He will be a familiar face to some, having served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department in early 2018, before taking up the post of Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office from July 2018 until November 2018.  He has held a number of other ministerial positions including at the MoJ, DWP and HMT.  I know you will all join me in welcoming our new Secretary of State to our offices later today and support him as he gets back up to speed with our work.  Madeleine”

Northern Ireland Office: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.

Conor Burns: The Northern Ireland Office spent the following on consultancy fees:(a) 2020: £745,278(b) 2021: £787,452(c) January-May 2022: £794,190In relation to naming consultancies, in accordance with this Government’s transparency requirements, I have listed only those suppliers with payments of £25,000 or above, as to name others could potentially breach their data protection rights or have an adverse effect on their commercial activity:Active Communities Network LTDAV Browne Advertising LTDCabinet OfficeCinemagic LTDCo-Operation IrelandDepartment of FinanceEducation AuthorityEpam Systems LTDGovernment Estates ManagementGroundwork Northern IrelandHolywell TrustIpsos MoriMinistry of DefenceMinistry of JusticeNorth West Cultural PartnershipPassionist Peace & Reconciliation OfficePlayhouse the NW Play Resource CentreYouth Action NI

Attorney General

Attorney General: Advertising

Jon Trickett: To ask the Attorney General, how much their Department has spent on advertising in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Edward Timpson: The table below sets out the amounts the Attorney General’s Office spent on advertising in the periods requested. These costs relate to the advertising of communications roles externally 2019-20£0.002020-21 £1,194.002021-22£0.002022-23£1,470.00

David Scullion

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney General, whether Mr David Scullion was employed by her Department on a full-time special adviser contract as of 13 June 2022.

Edward Timpson: The Cabinet Office routinely publishes an annual report on the numbers and costs of special advisers, which is available on GOV.UK. As of 13 June 2022, David Scullion was employed part-time by the Attorney General’s Office.

Department of Health and Social Care

Nurses: Recruitment

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full time equivalent nurses have been employed by NHS England in each year since 2010.

Maria Caulfield: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups, but exclude staff working in primary care, general practitioner surgeries, local authorities, and other providers.  The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent nurses working in HCHS in England, as at September in each year since 2010 and the latest available data from April 2022. September 2010272,034September 2011269,245September 2012263,720September 2013266,322September 2014269,818September 2015271,239September 2016274,767September 2017275,356September 2018277,790September 2019284,552September 2020297,813September 2021307,557April 2022313,508 Source: NHS Digital HCHS Workforce Statistics

NHS England and NHS Trusts: Recruitment

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was paid by NHS England and NHS trusts to recruitment consultants in each of the last five years.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the projected spend is by NHS England and NHS trusts on recruitment consultants for 2022-23.

Maria Caulfield: The following table shows expenditure on recruitment agency fees by NHS England for 2017/18 to 2020/21. The information requested for 2021/22 is currently being collated and centrally validated.2017/182018/192019/202020/21£793,000£1,620,000£5,087,000£375,000 The information for projected spend on by National Health Service trusts on recruitment consultants is not held in the format requested. While NHS trusts are required to disclose their expenditure on consultancy, this does not separately record expenditure on recruitment consultancy.No projections have been made for recruitment consultancy spend in 2022/23 for NHS England.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has a timetable for reviewing the maximum compensation amounts available to people who have suffered severe adverse reactions to covid-19 vaccines.

Maggie Throup: The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) provides a one-off, tax-free payment to claimants who have been found on the balance of probabilities to have been harmed by a vaccine for a disease listed in the Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979. COVID-19 was added to the Vaccine Damage Payment Act in December 2020. The initial payment amount of the VDPS was set at £10,000 in 1979 and this has been revised periodically by Statutory Sum Orders, with the current level set at £120,000 on 12 July 2007. There is currently no formal plan to review the payment amount for the VDPS. However, the VDPS is not a compensation scheme and therefore no compensation payments are being made.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what public health advice is being issued regarding the increasing infection rates of Omicron variant BA-5.

Maggie Throup: Due to the COVID-19 vaccination and booster programme and the availability of antiviral treatments, there is a lower risk to the population of severe illness or hospitalisation. The Government’s guidance has transitioned to encouraging responsible behaviours, while targeting protection towards those individuals most at risk from the virus.In April 2022, guidance for the public was issued which set out how the risk of infection and transmission of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, can be reduced in addition to guidance for people with symptoms of a respiratory illness. Public health principles were also published to reduce the spread of respiratory infections in the workplace.The UK Health Security Agency and the National Health Service continue to promote safe behaviours and vaccination to the public through the media and local authorities, including Directors of Public Health and their teams. The Government continues to monitor a range of data to ensure the country’s response to COVID-19 remains effective and proportionate and will communicate public health advice through all available channels.

Evusheld

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2022 to Question 15354 on Evusheld, whether his Department has received advice from clinicians on the most appropriate option for the use of Evusheld.

Maggie Throup: We are currently considering the advice received.

HIV Infection: Wales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential (a) merits and (b) implications for his policies of the Welsh government's announcement of a £3.9 million investment to improve postal HIV testing in Wales.

Maggie Throup: No assessment has been made as HIV postal testing is widely available in England, funded by local authorities.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on (a) its strategy for Monkeypox vaccination and (b) ensuring that people in high risk groups can access a Monkeypox vaccination quickly.

Maggie Throup: On 21 June 2022, the UK Health Security Agency published a targeted vaccine strategy which recommends that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox should be offered a smallpox vaccine, Imvanex, to control the outbreak. NHS England will offer the vaccine to those most likely to be exposed to monkeypox, including healthcare workers and close contacts of confirmed infections. The local National Health Service will contact members of the public risk of exposure to offer a vaccination in due course.

Temperature: Health Hazards

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what public communications steps he is taking to help protect the public during extreme heat in summer 2022.

Maggie Throup: The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office are providing regular communications to the public and the media during the onset of the current warm weather. These communications provide detailed information from public health experts on how to remain safe in hot conditions.

HIV Infection: Medical Treatments

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of monkeypox on the availability of health service appointments for prescribing the HIV prevention drug PrEP.

Maggie Throup: While no specific assessment has been made, we will monitor the impact of monkeypox on these services.

Gynaecology: Waiting Lists

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of gynaecological waiting lists on the quality of life of patients on those waiting lists.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential long-term impact on gynaecology patients of having to wait for over 18 weeks to have a referral to treatment.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of long gynaecological waiting lists on the quality of life of patients.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the long term impact of gynaecology patients waiting for over 18 weeks to have a referral to treatment.

Maria Caulfield: No formal assessment has been made. However, we have made £2 billion available in 2021/22 and committed a further £8 billion over the next three years to reduce waiting times for elective services, including gynaecology services. The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ sets out how this funding will be used to increase capacity and improve services, including providing information to patients on waiting lists. Patients awaiting gynaecological treatment are clinically reviewed to ensure they receive the appropriate support. The forthcoming Women's Health Strategy for England will address gynaecological conditions.

Hospitals: Buildings

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of hospitals in England fitted with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Maria Caulfield: The National Health Service has conducted building surveys to identify the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in its estate. This identified 16 NHS trusts and 34 buildings containing RAAC planks.All affected trusts have employed structural surveyors to assess the condition of the infrastructure. A ring-fenced allocation of £110 million has been provided to mitigate the immediate risk and trusts will receive a further £575 million in the current Spending Review period.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 25 May 2022 from the Hon. Member for West Lancashire, reference ZA59821, regarding support for people with allergies.

Maria Caulfield: We replied to the hon. Member on 18 July 2022.

Health Services: Migrant Workers

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Memorandum of understanding between the UK and the Philippines on healthcare cooperation, published by his Department on 11 November 2021, what recent assessment he has made of the level of compliance by recruitment agencies with the provision of that Memorandum.

Maria Caulfield: No specific assessment has been made. However, officials hold regular meetings with the Filipino Labour Attache. Where concerns have been raised with officials on compliance with the code, these cases have been referred to NHS Employers or other relevant regulatory bodies. NHS Employers hosts a list of agencies which adhere to the code to assist employers. It undertakes routine checks on compliance, responds to complaints or breaches and takes necessary action where the code is contravened.

Cancer: Drugs

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many medicines approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency under Project Orbis have received a decision on reimbursement by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); and what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of NICE’s staffing and resourcing capacity.

Maria Caulfield: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on whether new cancer medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service through its technology appraisal programme. NICE has published final technology appraisal guidance on three cancer medicines which have received marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency through Project Orbis. NICE has also, published final draft guidance on sacituzumab govitecan for treating unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer after two or more therapies, which is now available to NHS patients through the Cancer Drugs Fund.The Department holds regular accountability meetings with NICE to discuss a range of issues, such as staffing and resource capacity issues which may impact on NICE’s ability to deliver on its commitments. In 2022/23, NICE plan to increase the flexibility and capacity of its technology appraisal programme through a more proportionate approach to assessments. From April 2023, NICE aims to expand its capacity for technology appraisals by 20%, to enable it to respond to the increasing numbers of topics referred for appraisal in a timely manner.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Mid Wales and Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to deliver the Hospitals Transformation Programme on the delivery of emergency care in Shropshire and mid-Wales.

Maria Caulfield: No recent assessment has been made. While capital works for the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital are nearing completion, they are not yet finalised. As process changes have recently been implemented, a full assessment of the impact of these changes will be made later this year. The Department recently received the Strategic Outline Case for the transformation of accident and emergency services in Shrewsbury and Telford which is currently under review. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust aims to present the Full Business case in 2023, with construction starting in the same year, with completion by 2026.

Department of Health and Social Care: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is collected by financial year. The following table shows expenditure on externally contracted consultancy services in the core Department in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. Fully audited data for 2021/22 will be available later this year.2020/212019/20£171,613,000£15,203,000 A table showing the suppliers contracted for each consultancy service in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 is attached.TABLE (docx, 29.0KB)

Endometriosis: Diagnosis

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the NICE guidelines NG73 on endometriosis diagnosis are updated.

Maria Caulfield: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reviewed its endometriosis guideline in late 2021. The guideline was amended to highlight that those with endometriosis outside the pelvic cavity should be referred to a specialist endometriosis centre. NICE is now undertaking a further review of its guideline on endometriosis to determine whether it should be updated.

NHS Trusts: Apprentices

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary for Health and Social Care, how much each NHS Trust (a) has spent on the Pay Apprenticeship Levy in each year since it was introduced and (b) has spent in total in each of those years.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Nurses: Training

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department provides support for people seeking to enrol in an access course to train at university as a nurse.

Maria Caulfield: Financial support is provided by the Department for Education. In the academic year 2022/23, the Department for Education has approved funding for 15 Access to Higher Education Diplomas in Nursing through the Adult Education Budget or Advanced Learner Loans. If a learner then completes an eligible higher education course, the balance of the Advanced Learner Loan for the Access course will be written off.

Hospitals: Admissions

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were required to wait for 12 hours or more from the point of decision to admit to admission in hospital in June 2022.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients spent more than four hours in an Emergency Department from decision to admit to admission in June 2022.

Maria Caulfield: In June 2022, 130,109 patients spent over four hours in an emergency department from the decision to admit to admission to hospital, with 22,034 patients waiting more than 12 hours from decision to admit to admission.

Menopause: Mental Health Services

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the number of women referred to Memory Services when experiencing cognitive symptoms of menopause.

Maria Caulfield: No specific assessment has been made as data on the number of menopausal women referred to memory services is not held centrally.However, NHS England has undertaken preliminary work to deliver improved menopause care. An optimal clinical pathway is currently being developed by a menopause clinical reference group, which will include memory-loss and concentration-loss as symptoms women may present with.

Junior Doctors: Greater London

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many training placements for junior doctors were funded in London in (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

Maria Caulfield: The following table shows the number of training places for junior doctors in London which were funded by Health Education England in each year from 2018 to 2022. YearNumber of training places2018/198,3812019/208,3862020/218,4602021/228,5822022/238,710

Health Services: Migrant Workers

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Bilateral agreement between the UK and Kenya on healthcare workforce collaboration, published on 11 November 2021, what progress his Department has made on the establishment of a joint committee to oversee the implementation of that agreement.

Maria Caulfield: An official level working group has been established to oversee the implementation of the Bilateral agreement. This includes officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Kenyan Government and relevant agencies. The formation of a formal joint committee has been paused until the conclusion of the Kenyan general election in 2022.

NHS: Staff

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of pay on the retention and recruitment of NHS staff.

Steve Barclay: In reaching their recommendations the independent pay review bodies consider a number of factors, including recruitment and retention. Today I announced that the government would accept the NHS Pay Review Body and Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration recommendations in full.Alongside pay we continue to invest in recruitment and retention, backed by our record £39 billion investment in the NHS over the next three years. There are over 4,000 more doctors and over 9,600 more nurses working in the NHS compared to last year.

Question

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the risk of death and serious illness caused by allergic reactions.

Maggie Throup: The Government is committed to supporting those living with allergies. On 1 October 2021 Natasha’s Law made it a legal requirement for food operators to display allergen labelling on food items pre-packed for direct sale, protecting those with allergies and giving them more confidence in the food they buy. The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency is taking forward a number of actions to promote the safe and effective use of Adrenaline Auto Injectors, an approved treatment for severe allergic reactions.

Health: Females

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce women’s health inequalities in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Maria Caulfield: In the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board area, local maternity and neonatal systems have developed an equity and equality strategy and an action plan will be submitted to NHS England by the end of September 2022. This will support services for smoking cessation, gestational diabetes, women with complex social needs and additional training for staff. Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System is reviewing inequalities in its screening programmes to improve access. It is also promoting the use of the Health Equity Assessment Tool to identify and address inequalities in women’s health services. University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and Coventry City Council are collaborating on targeted programmes for women living in deprived areas who have gestational diabetes or are obese.In Birmingham and Solihull, a health inequality five year strategy is currently in development focussing on improving maternity pathways, reducing infant mortality, working towards the best start in life for children, mental health services, improving prevention services and better outcomes for those with disabilities and those in social care. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board will work with local communities to reduce health inequalities through improvements to ethnicity and data coding to ensure that groups are identified and supported more effectively. In Herefordshire and Worcestershire, continuity of carer maternity plans are being developed through the Core20PLUS5 initiative, to address disparities in access to services for women. Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s inequalities strategy sets out how data sets will be combined to reduce health inequalities in tobacco dependence and maternity services.The forthcoming Women’s Health Strategy aims to ensure that all women and girls have equitable access to and experience of services and disparities in outcomes are reduced. Further information will be available later this year.

Health Services and Social Services: Staff

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date his department will publish the Long-Term Strategic Framework for Health and Social Care Workforce Planning.

Maria Caulfield: This work is nearing completion and will be published in due course.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the average waiting time for mental health treatment.

Gillian Keegan: Last year over 1 million people accessed talking therapies services in the community. We delivered waiting-time promises for adult talking therapies, with 88.8% of people accessing treatment within 6 weeks, and 98.4% within 18 weeks. In April 2022, patients were waiting on average 22.8 days from the point of referral to starting adult talking therapies, nationally.For children and young people, we are working towards our aim for 95% accessing eating disorder services within 1 week for urgent cases and 4 weeks for routine cases.This year NHS England published consultation outcomes on five new access and waiting time standards for mental health services. We are currently working with NHS England on next steps for implementation.

Care Homes: Staff

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support care home workers.

Gillian Keegan: I would like to recognise the enormous contribution care home workers, and all the care workforce, make to this country.In our People at the Heart of Care White Paper, we set out a landmark investment of £500 million to develop and support the workforce.This a five-fold increase in public spending on workforce training, creating hundreds of thousands of training places with clear pathways for development and progression.These measures will make a real difference to the support that care workers get to develop and progress their career.

Question

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support unpaid carers with the rising cost of living.

Gillian Keegan: We recognise and appreciate the vital contribution made by unpaid carers who provide invaluable support for relatives, partners, friends and neighbours who may be ill, frail or disabled.We also recognise the pressures people face with the cost of living and are providing support of over £37 billion to help people with rising costs of living, including higher energy costs.Unpaid carers may benefit from this support, including through the £650 means tested Cost of Living Payment where eligible.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are the Government is taking to address trends in the levels of critical incidents declared by ambulance trusts.

Maria Caulfield: Ambulance trusts receive continuous central monitoring and support from the National Ambulance Coordination Centre. NHS England has allocated an additional £150 million to address ambulance service pressures in 2022/23 and support improvements to response times through call handler recruitment and retention.

Menorrhagia: Accident and Emergency Departments

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many emergency admissions there have been for heavy menstrual bleeding since 2020.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not collected centrally.

NHS England

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date his Department will publish NHS England's long term development strategy.

Maria Caulfield: In January 2022, the Department commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan, which will also align with Health Education England’s forthcoming ‘Framework-15’. The conclusions of plan will be available in due course.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people waiting for cancer treatment.

James Morris: The latest monthly Cancer Waiting Times statistics published on 14 July 2022 show that, in England, in May 2022, over 238,000 people received a cancer diagnosis outcome following a screening or urgent GP referral. A subset of these patients received a diagnosis of cancer and require treatment. NHS England do not publish data on the number of people waiting for cancer treatment.

Health Professions: Radioisotopes

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the sustainability of the nuclear medicine workforce in the context of the potential increase in availability of (a) radioligand therapy and (b) other nuclear medicines to treat certain cancers.

James Morris: No specific assessment has been made. However, Health Education England plan to increase the number of posts in nuclear medicine by 10 each year in 2023/24 and 2024/25 through its cancer and diagnostic programme.It is expected that all new therapeutic radioligand treatments for cancer will be appraised by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence via its technology appraisal process.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of 29 April 2022 from the hon. member for West Lancashire to his predecessor, regarding arthritis analgesia, reference ZA59617.

Maria Caulfield: We replied to the hon. Member on 14 July 2022.

Question

Bill Esterson: Whether he has plans to fund a new health centre in Maghull, Sefton.

Steve Barclay: As of 2020/21 Integrated Care Systems have been empowered to prioritise their funding as they see fit to best improve care in local areas.£20 billion capital will be provided at a national level for the period 2022/23 to 2024/25, of which £218 million has already been allocated for 2022/23 to Cheshire and Merseyside (Integrated Care Board).Local health system planners acknowledge the need for a primary care estate in Maghull, and are working together to develop an estates strategy, which is currently in early development.

Parkinson's Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2022 to Question 13722, for what reason his Department does not collect data on the number of people living with Parkinson's; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: Data on the number of people living with Parkinson’s disease is not collected centrally, as the majority of patients are supported locally through routine access to primary and secondary care.NHS England continues to encourage general practitioners and other provider organisations to hold accurate and up to date diagnostic and treatment records and care plans for patients. NHS England also use a range of available data sources in the planning and development of services, including public health epidemiological data, service level data as well as information shared by voluntary sector bodies.

NHS: Staff

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a tax unregistered top up scheme for senior NHS workers, in line with the scheme introduced for judges from April 2022.

Maria Caulfield: We have no plans to make an assessment. Due to the unique circumstances of judiciary appointments, it was necessary to reform these pension arrangements. Judges are unable to work in private practice after taking up office and many experience a significant reduction in pay to join the judiciary.The vast majority of NHS Pension Scheme members build their pensions tax-free. For members who incur an annual allowance charge, the Scheme Pays facility is a proportionate means of allowing members to avoid paying such charges in advance.

Gambling: Rehabilitation

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport regarding support and specialist treatment services available for those with gambling addictions.

Maggie Throup: Ministers have held discussions on the Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and on support and specialist treatment services available for those experiencing gambling-related harm.

Coronavirus: Screening

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the guidance from the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Advice to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, published on 10 September 2021, when he plans to respond to the recommendations on covid-19 test providers.

Maggie Throup: There are currently no plans to provide a formal response. Following the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) report into the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for travel market, the policy for testing was amended from PCR to lateral flow device (LFD) testing. However, officials met regularly with the CMA to discuss its recommendations, many of which were incorporated into the implementation of the LFD testing regime.

Department of Health and Social Care: Pay

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) direct employees, (b) contractors and (c) agency workers who work in his Department and relevant agencies and public bodies receive a wage below that of the (i) UK Real Living Wage outside of Greater London and (ii) London Living Wage inside of Greater London, as determined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Maria Caulfield: The Government is committed to paying a living wage, which is being addressed through the statutory National Living Wage. In April 2022, the National Living Wage increased to £9.50 per hour. By 2024, the Government has committed that the National Living Wage will reach 66% of median earnings in the United Kingdom.As of 30 June 2022, there were no direct employees in the Department and its executive agencies earning below the Real Living Wage or the London Living Wage. The Department’s arm’s length bodies use the NHS Agenda for Change pay scales, which are determined between the employee and employer, therefore this information is not held centrally.The Department indirectly employs a number of agency workers and contractors. The rate of pay will be determined by the relevant agency or company, according to the Crown Commercial Service’s minimum pay requirements, which all suppliers must adhere to when negotiating contracts with Government departments.

Members: Correspondence

Robert Largan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will respond to the correspondence of 29 April 2022 from the hon. Member for High Peak, referenced RL37314.

Maria Caulfield: I replied to the hon. member on 13 July.

Members: Correspondence

Robert Largan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will respond to the correspondence of 10 May 2022 from the hon. Member for High Peak, reference RL38510.

Maria Caulfield: We replied to the hon. Member on 13 July.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust: Staff

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure adequate staffing levels across Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.

Maria Caulfield: Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust is monitoring staffing levels on a monthly basis through its Quality Safety Assurance Committee and has established mutual aid agreements with local partners to assist during times of significant pressure. The Trust has also worked with NHS England to develop a plan to increase the substantive nursing workforce in 2022/23 and enhancing nursing associate, advanced care practitioner, physician associate and apprenticeship roles.As of March 2022, there were 5,980 full time equivalent (FTE) staff working at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, an increase of 3% from March 2021. This includes a 4.7% increase in the number of FTE doctors and nurses.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will respond to the correspondence of 10 May 2022 from the hon. Member for West Lancashire on macular research, reference ZA59681.

Maria Caulfield: We replied to the hon. Member on 13 July 2022.

Opiates: Children

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the long-term impacts of the use of (a) benzodiazepines and (b) other opioids on children.

Maria Caulfield: In 2019, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reviewed the benefits and risks of opioids in the treatment of non-cancer pain in adults and children, including the information available to patients, carers and healthcare professionals on the risk of dependence and addiction following long-term use. The review concluded that with long-term use of longer than three months, patients of all ages became tolerant and treatment was less effective. Adolescents may be more at risk of addiction than younger children. Evidence on the benefit and safety of opioids in the treatment of non-cancer pain is mainly derived from adult clinical studies with little evidence derived from children.Following the outcome of the review, product information was updated to ensure consistent guidance on dependence and addiction, potential signs and symptoms and recognition of withdrawal reactions. A requirement was put in place for a planned discussion between patient and doctor on ceasing treatment and in September 2020, an article for healthcare professionals and an updated patient information leaflet was published with guidance concerning the risks of dependence and addiction.Additional measures have been implemented to provide information on the risks of breathing problems following the use of opioids in children. Safety measures for babies and children following exposure to opioids and benzodiazepines during pregnancy, are recommended. The MHRA intends to undertake a further review into dependency and addiction to benzodiazepines and continuously monitors safety through its routine pharmacovigilance activities to ensure that the benefits of these medicines outweigh the risks.

Mental Health Services: Mothers

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure psychotropic medication is safely (a) prescribed and (b) monitored in new mothers.

Maria Caulfield: Prescribing clinicians should always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for patients can be safely prescribed. This prescribing decision and any monitoring activity should be discussed and agreed with the patient. Clinicians are expected to take account of appropriate local and national guidance and are accountable for their prescribing decisions, professionally and to service commissioners.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continually monitors the safety of psychotropic medications, including use in new mothers, through the assessment of data received through the Yellow Card Scheme and discussion of cases at multidisciplinary meetings.

Coeliac Disease

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to reintroduce food vouchers for people who suffer from coeliac disease.

Maria Caulfield: We have no plans to introduce vouchers for gluten free (GF) food as staple GF items remain available on a National Health Service prescription.

General Practitioners: Standards

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the NHS England blueprint in respect of improving access to GP appointments; and what guidance his Department has issued on the steps that patients can take in the event they are dissatisfied with the quality of the service that they receive from their GP.

James Morris: The Department is working with NHS England and NHS Improvement and others to improve access to general practitioner (GP) appointments for patients. In May 2022, there were on average 1.31 million general practice appointments per working day, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations - a 9% increase from May 2019. NHS England and NHS Improvement are continuing to provide structured support to practices working in the most challenging circumstances via the Access Improvement Programme.Practices can provide patients with details of the complaints process. Patients can also raise concerns with the local commissioner, NHS England and NHS Improvement or with the local Healthwatch, the independent consumer champion for health and social care.

Heart Diseases: Primary Health Care

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to improve primary care for patients who have been diagnosed with heart failure.

James Morris: The Quality and Outcomes Framework incentive programme for general practitioner practices in England contains indicators promoting high-quality care for patients with coronary heart disease or with a diagnosis of heart failure.Primary Care Networks (PCNs are required as part of the services specification to improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) diagnosis and prevention. This includes supporting the earlier identification of heart failure through increasing awareness amongst PCN staff, the use of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide testing and increasing the use of CVD intelligence tools, including CVDPREVENT. The 2022/23 Impact and Investment Fund also incentivises PCNs to improve CVD prevention, such as treating patients with atrial fibrillation with Direct-Acting Oral Anticoagulants, in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines.  In addition, the National Health Service is investing in cardiac networks to support whole pathway improvements. These networks have been developed to improve the care pathway from prevention, diagnosis, treatment to end of life care.

Radioligand Therapy

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide centralised capital funding for NHS Trusts to ensure sufficient infrastructure capacity is secured for the equitable delivery of future radioligand therapy cancer treatments.

James Morris: NHS England and NHS Improvement have no plans to do so. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement have published guidance on capital allocations and planning arrangements to support integrated care systems, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/B1256-capital-guidance-for-2022-25.pdfThis is designed to enable capital to be deployed in accordance with local priorities.

Radioligand Therapy

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that cancer patients wishing to access radioligand therapy do not have to travel up to 200 miles for that treatment as outlined in the Royal College of Radiologist’s report entitled Review of molecular radiotherapy services in the UK.

James Morris: The Royal College’s report refers to three specific treatments: Lu-177; Ra-223; and Y-90 selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT). These treatments are currently available to patients in England, with access based on existing clinical pathways, multi-disciplinary team arrangements and expected activity levels associated with each clinical indication.Where treatments are approved via the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals, NHS England and NHS Improvement seek to establish the appropriate access within the license of the treatment and provide advice to regional teams. NHS England and NHS Improvement are undertaking an expansion programme for SIRT to address the anticipated demand in the next two years.

General Practitioners: Standards

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the average length of time people wait between initial contact with a GP surgery and seeing a GP (a) in York and (b) nationally; and whether he is taking steps to help shorten that time.

James Morris: No specific estimate has been made. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement are offering practices an interim telephony solution to access additional outgoing telephone lines. This provides additional capacity for incoming for incoming calls and communication tools to ensure patients are aware of how to access services.

Skin Cancer: Sunbeds

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to research from the University of Manchester entitled Cost-effectiveness of a policy-based intervention to reduce melanoma and other skin cancers associated with indoor tanning, published in February 2022, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a public health campaign aiming to reduce sunbed use among young people.

James Morris: No specific assessment has been made. However, the Department and the UK Health Security Agency keep the emerging evidence on the health risks of sunbeds under review and health advice on the safety of sunbeds is available at NHS.UK.In 2009, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment published ‘The health effects and risks arising from exposure to ultraviolet radiation from artificial tanning devices’, which reviewed the association between the use of sunbeds and skin cancer rates and the merits of introducing further regulations. The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 banned the commercial use of sunbeds in people under the age of 18 years old.

Skin Cancer: Sunbeds

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to research from the University of Manchester entitled Cost-effectiveness of a policy-based intervention to reduce melanoma and other skin cancers associated with indoor tanning, published in February 2022, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of banning commercial sunbeds in England on likely melanoma rates, particularly among young people.

James Morris: The Department and the UK Health Security Agency keep the emerging evidence on the health risks of sunbeds under review.In 2009, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment published ‘The health effects and risks arising from exposure to ultraviolet radiation from artificial tanning devices’, which reviewed the association between the use of sunbeds and skin cancer rates and the merits of introducing further regulations. The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 banned the commercial use of sunbeds in people under the age of 18 years old.

Skin Cancer: Sunbeds

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to research from the University of Manchester entitled Cost-effectiveness of a policy-based intervention to reduce melanoma and other skin cancers associated with indoor tanning, published in February 2022, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) link between the use of sunbeds and skin cancer rates and (b) potential merits of introducing a ban on the use of commercial sunbeds in England.

James Morris: The Department and the UK Health Security Agency keep the emerging evidence on the health risks of sunbeds under review.In 2009, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment published ‘The health effects and risks arising from exposure to ultraviolet radiation from artificial tanning devices’, which reviewed the association between the use of sunbeds and skin cancer rates and the merits of introducing further regulations. The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 banned the commercial use of sunbeds in people under the age of 18 years old.

Community Nurses and General Practitioners

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it a departmental priority to make an assessment of the potential merits of joined-up care liaison between GPs and district nurses.

James Morris: The ‘Joining up care for people, places and populations’ white paper published in February 2022 set out the intention to develop shared outcomes at local and national level to achieve better integration of services and patient experience. This includes integration between primary and community care through such measures as the Enhanced Health in Care Homes programme, which we have committed to deploy in England by 2024. We are also increasing and diversifying the general practice workforce to ensure practices can meet the needs of the local population. NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing a National Community Nursing Plan which will set out how we will ensure the success of community nursing and collaboration to improve patient outcomes and experience. In addition, the NHS is implementing the ‘Hospital at Home’ model of care to enable community services to support people with the most complex health needs at home, through general practitioners and community health staff working together.

General Practitioners: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP practices in Greater London are run by private sector companies as of 12 July 2022; and what the equivalent number was on that date in (b) 2021, (b) 2020 and (c) 2019.

James Morris: All general practitioner (GP) practices are administered by GPs or other organisations and work under contract to the National Health Service. All contract holders and providers of NHS core primary medical services are subject to the same requirements, regulation and standards. In Islington, there are 25 practices administered by GP partnerships, three by individual GPs and three by companies. Barnsbury Medical Practice is administered by Islington GP Group (Islington Federation); and Mitchison Road Surgery and Hanley Primary Care Centre by AT Medics. The number of GP practices in Greater London run by private sector companies in each year since 2019 is not held centrally.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 10 Year Cancer Plan will make provision for expanding system infrastructure to deliver (a) radioligand therapy and (b) other innovative cancer treatments.

James Morris: The 10-Year Cancer Plan is currently under review and further information will be available in due course.It is expected that all new therapeutic radioligand treatments for cancer will be appraised by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) technology appraisal process. If approved, treatments are usually made available to patients from the date of NICE’s positive draft guidance.

Genetics: Diseases

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the AARS2 genetic disorder; and whether his Department has made funding available for research into that disorder.

James Morris: We have no plans to make a specific assessment. However, following the publication of the ‘England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2022’ in February 2022, the Department continues to monitor progress on its actions and resolve any barriers to implementation. The second England Rare Diseases Action Plan will be published at the start of 2023 and will report on progress and propose updated and new actions.The Department funds the majority of research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In the last five years, the NIHR has not funded specific research into AARS2 disorder.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage the use of data management systems across the NHS that can support the accurate coding and optimal management of heart failure patients.

James Morris: NHS England is working with Health Education England and clinicians to develop a heart failure and heart valve disease course. This includes diagnosing heart failure and issues in echocardiogram reports, the correct use of SNOMED codes and coding for patients to be added to the Quality and Outcomes Framework’s heart failure register to aid monitoring, review and attainment.NHS England also commissions the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research for data tools and user guides to support hospitals, including data completeness and national quality improvement metric tools.

Miscarriage: Mental Health Services

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure dedicated miscarriage facilities are available within maternity ward settings to support miscarriage trauma and grief.

James Morris: NHS England’s guidance on the configuration of the estate in maternity services states that a woman who has lost her baby should not be accommodated on a ward or bedroom where there are new mothers. The guidance, Children, young people and maternity services. Health Building Note 09-02: Maternity care facilities’ is available at the follow:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HBN_09-02_Final.pdfWe have funded SANDS to work with other baby loss charities and the Royal Colleges to produce and support a National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care provided by the National Health Service. The NBCP standards ensure that families can access dedicated miscarriage facilities. As of 1 April 2022, 78% of NHS trusts in England have committed to adopting the nine NBCP standards.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will develop dedicated women's health hubs in local communities.

James Morris: Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of the local population. We encourage local commissioners and providers to consider such models where it would improve access to services and patient experience.

Dental Services: East Yorkshire

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of orthodontic services in East Yorkshire; and what plans he has to increase the number of orthodontic appointments available to NHS patients.

James Morris: No specific assessment has been made. National Health Service regional teams are responsible for assessing capacity and commissioning local dental services. The Department works with NHS England to monitor the delivery of commissioned levels of care in England.

Dental Services: Wiltshire

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to NHS Dental Care Services in Wiltshire.

James Morris: From July 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked practices to deliver 100% of contracted units of dental activity and 100% of units of orthodontic activity to improve access for patients safely. An additional £50 million for National Health Service dentistry was allocated for the final quarter of 2021/22 to support the provision of urgent care to patients. Of this funding, £4,726,000 was made available to the South West region, including Wiltshire.The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders, including the British Dental Association, on improvements to the NHS dental system to improve access, including in Wiltshire.

Cancer: Mental Health Services

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of mental health support for young people who receive a cancer diagnosis.

James Morris: While no recent assessment has been made, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked Cancer Alliances to review mental health provision for those affected by cancer, including young people.The NHS Long Term Plan states that, where appropriate, all those diagnosed with cancer should receive a personalised care and support plan. Teenage and young adult cancer services are responsible for ensuring access to specialist psychological and appropriate psycho-social support for patients during cancer therapy and follow up care.

Cancer: Children

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to improve (a) outcomes and (b) treatment for children with cancer.

James Morris: The NHS Long Term Plan commits to improve the outcomes and experience of children, teenagers and young adults with cancer. This include implementing networked care; simplifying pathways and transitions between services; ensuring that every patient has access to specialist care; and increasing participation in clinical research.Child patients can be referred to non-specific symptom pathways which provides an additional referral route for general practitioners and can accelerate the start of treatment.All cancer drugs, including those licensed for children, recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are eligible for funding through the Cancer Drugs Fund. Since October 2016, the Cancer Drugs Fund has provided access to life-extending cancer treatments to 80,000 patients in England, including children.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish examples from within the NHS of (a) innovative care and (b) best practice for patients receiving treatment on NHS England’s Cardiology Service; and if he will make a statement.

James Morris: The National Health Service is accelerating the enhanced use of digital technology for cardiac rehabilitation and increasing the use of remote consultations. NHS England and NHS Improvement and Health Education England have developed e-learning to support primary care professionals to recognise the symptoms of heart failure, diagnose, manage and support heart failure patients.The online Heart Age Test provided through the Better Health Campaign allows an immediate indication of a user’s potential cardiovascular risk by providing their estimated heart age, compared to their real age.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops evidence-based guidance for the NHS on best practice for those patients receiving cardiology treatment. NICE’s guidelines should be taken fully into account by healthcare professionals in the care and treatment of individual patients.

Prostate Cancer: Halton

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many men in the Halton local authority area have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in each year since 2010.

James Morris: The data is not held in the format requested.

Dental Services: Wakefield

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dentistry in Wakefield.

James Morris: From July 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked practices to deliver 100% of contracted units of dental activity and 100% of units of orthodontic activity to safely improve access for patients.  An additional £50 million was provided for National Health Service dentistry for the final quarter of 2021/22 to support the provision of urgent care to patients. Of this funding, £8,633,000 was made available to the North East and Yorkshire region, including Wakefield.The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders, including the British Dental Association, on improvements to the NHS dental system to increase access, including in Wakefield.

Dental Services

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase capacity in (a) dental and (b) orthodontic healthcare provision.

James Morris: We allocated an additional £50 million for National Health Service dentistry was provided for the final quarter of 2021/22 to provide urgent care to patients. NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked practices to deliver 100% of contracted units of dental activity and 100% of units of orthodontic activity to safely improve access for patients.The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders, including the British Dental Association, on improvements to the NHS dental system. Negotiations are currently underway on initial measures, which aim to improve access to NHS dentistry.

Dental Services: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2022 to Question 13119 on Dental Services: North East, if he will make an assessment of whether dentists at NHS Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group have capacity to take on additional patients as on 29 June 2022; and if he will make an estimate of the number of dentists per capita there were in the NHS Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group in the 2010-11 financial year.

James Morris: We have no plans to make such an assessment. National Health Service regional teams are responsible for assessing local capacity and commissioning the appropriate NHS dental services. The Department works with NHS England to monitor the delivery of commissioned levels of care in England.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 10 June 2014, Official Report, column 391, whether the results of the NHS England-funded audit on urogynaecological procedures for stress urinary incontinence have been published.

James Morris: NHS England’s Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership commissioned the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) to undertake this audit. All surgeons, including gynaecologists and urologists, carrying out stress incontinence surgery in England were requested to retrospectively produce personal results for the period 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013, which would be analysed and published. The ‘National BSUG audit of stress urinary incontinence surgery in England’ is available at the following link:https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/159912/1/National%20BSUG%20audit%20of%20stress%20urinary%20incontinence%20surgery%20in%20England.pdf

Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the prognosis of patients with untreated severe aortic stenosis; and if his Department will undertake an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a referral to treatment pathway to accelerate care for those patients as exists for people with cancer.

James Morris: If untreated, aortic stenosis usually deteriorates, leading to a narrowing of the heart valve. Adults in need of an aortic valve replacement who are unsuited to heart valve surgery may be offered a transcatheter aortic valve implantation, which involves a valve implanted into the heart to treat aortic stenosis.We have committed £2.3 billion to open at least 100 community diagnostic centres  by 2024/25 to improve the early detection and diagnosis of heart valve disease in England. In addition, the National Health Service is investing in cardiac networks to support whole pathway improvements. These networks have been developed to improve the care pathway from prevention, diagnosis, treatment to end of life care.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to implement the recommendations of the recently published report of the All-party parliamentary group on Minimally Invasive Cancer Therapies, Barriers to Patient Access; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) clinical and (b) patient awareness of minimally invasive cancer therapies as outlined in the All-party parliamentary group on Minimally Invasive Cancer Therapies' recent report, Barriers to Patient Access.

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will develop a simple funding pathway for focal ablative therapies to ensure that patients have the option to receive minimally invasive treatments.

James Morris: The All-Party Parliamentary Group’s report refers to a number of treatments which are not directly commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement. Where the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended a treatment following a technology appraisal, commissioners have a mandate to support implementation, including providing funding pathways where necessary.For those treatments cited in the report which have received a positive technology appraisal, such as the use of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) to treat hepatocellular carcinoma, NHS England and NHS Improvement’s specialised commissioning team is currently expanding the number of providers. This involves a Prior Information Notice and market engagement exercise, which is due to be completed in 2022/23, before a service can be delegated to integrated care boards.

Mental Health Services: Mothers

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce birth trauma in new mothers.

James Morris: Following a miscarriage, stillbirth or a difficult birth, women can develop physical and psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance states that women should be offered psychological therapy following a difficult delivery, where post-traumatic stress disorder develops.Specialist community perinatal mental health services have been deployed in England to allow an additional 24,000 women to access specialist care by 2023/24. In addition, 33 new maternal mental health service hubs will provide psychological therapy, maternity services and reproductive health for women with mental health needs following trauma or loss related to their maternity experience.To reduce the risks of physical trauma, a new core curriculum for professionals working in maternity and neonatal services is being developed by the Maternity Transformation Programme in partnership with professional organisations, clinicians and service users. This aims to address variations in safety training and competency assurance in England. A single core curriculum will ensure consistent, updated safety skills between services and trusts.

Skin Cancer: Sunbeds

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to research from the University of Manchester entitled Cost-effectiveness of a policy-based intervention to reduce melanoma and other skin cancers associated with indoor tanning, published in February 2022, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a buy-back scheme for commercial sunbeds in England.

James Morris: While the Department and the UK Health Security Agency keep the emerging evidence of the health risks of sunbeds under review, no specific assessment has been made.

Skin Cancer: Sunbeds

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to research from the University of Manchester entitled Cost-effectiveness of a policy-based intervention to reduce melanoma and other skin cancers associated with indoor tanning, published in February 2022, what steps his Department is taking to reduce sunbed use by young people.

James Morris: The Department and the UK Health Security Agency keep the emerging evidence of the health risks of sunbeds under review. The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 banned the use of sunbeds in those aged under 18 years old.

Maternity Services: Home Helps

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of domestic support available to new mothers.

James Morris: No recent assessment has been made. Domestic support can improve care management or resolve other concerns which may arise from becoming a new mother. This can include provision of information on self-care, signposting to other services, while targeted or specialist support should be provided as early as possible.

Maternity Services: Home Helps

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding for early domestic support for new mothers.

James Morris: The funding of early domestic support is a matter for commissioners to respond to the needs of the local population. New mothers may require additional support in the post-natal period which requires a holistic assessment in partnership with the family.

Maternity Services: Health Visitors

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of face-to-face health visits postpartum for new mothers.

James Morris: NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance states that general practitioner practices must provide face to face appointments, alongside remote consultations. Patients’ input into consultation type should be sought and practices should respect preferences for face-to-face care, unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary. Mandated health visitor reviews should be held face to face and delivered by a health visitor or under their supervision. Health visitors also should use their clinical judgement to identify whether virtual, other digital or blended approaches can be used to support the needs of a new mother or family.

Maternity Services: Health Visitors

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing mandatory health visits up to 12 weeks postpartum.

James Morris: There are no current plans to do so. Since April 2020, it has been a contractual requirement for general practitioner to offer a six to eight week maternal postnatal health check for new mothers. Mandated and other health visitor reviews also provide an opportunity to review postnatal care.

Prader-Willi Syndrome: Health Services

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of provision of specialist care for patients diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

James Morris: No specific assessment has been made.

Evusheld

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the continued consultations around the rollout of Evusheld do not impede his Department’s ability to procure that antiviral drug.

Maggie Throup: The Department is conducting an assessment of Evusheld, including requesting advice from clinicians on the most appropriate option for the National Health Service in line with available data, the public health situation and other treatments available. While we are considering the advice received, we are currently unable to confirm a specific timetable for any decision.In addition, the Department is determining the most appropriate patient groups which could potentially benefit from prophylactic treatment and any considerations on potential deployment.

Smallpox: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people who have received the smallpox vaccine since May 2022 will have been given two doses within 28 days.

Maggie Throup: Any individual, typically healthcare workers, at on-going risk of exposure to the monkeypox virus will be offered two doses of smallpox vaccine with a minimum interval of 28 days between doses. However, a second dose within 28 days is not recommended. The vaccine programme for high-risk gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men will also offer two doses, although the offer of a first dose to as many individuals as possible will be prioritised. Data on smallpox vaccinations administered since May 2022 is continuing and will be available in due course.

Monkeypox: Disease Control

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking in the response to monkeypox outbreak; and how the response compares to the steps taken in the ministerial response to covid-19 outbreak.

Maggie Throup: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is working with the National Health Service and the public health agencies of each nation to prevent the onward transmission of monkeypox virus. The UKHSA has published guidance to raise awareness, advise the public on symptoms and how to access the appropriate treatment options.On 21 June, the UKHSA published a targeted vaccine strategy which recommends that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox should be offered the smallpox vaccine, Imvanex. Vaccination is also offered to those most likely to be exposed to monkeypox, including healthcare workers and people in close contact with an individual who has monkeypox. Public health incidents, such as COVID-19 and monkeypox, differ and therefore require a bespoke approach. The UKHSA has ensured that the response to the monkeypox virus is effective and proportionate to the scale of the outbreak.

Dementia: Health Services

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Dementia Programme Board has met since the announcement of the 10-year plan for dementia on 17 May 2022.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) people (i) living with and (ii) affected by dementia and (b) organisations representing people living with dementia have been consulted since the announcement of the 10-year plan.

Gillian Keegan: The Dementia Programme Board last met formally in March 2022. We are reviewing plans for dementia in England and further information will be available in due course.

Dementia: Health Services

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the 10-year plan for dementia.

Felicity Buchan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to implement his forthcoming dementia strategy.

Gillian Keegan: We are reviewing plans for dementia in England and further information will be available in due course.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Aviation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much their Office has spent on air travel for (a) Ministers and (b) officials in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

David T C Davies: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales spent the following on air travel over the last three years:  Year 202020212022 to dateMinisters--7,565.76Officials39.18274.727,190.99Total39.18274.7214,756.75

Department for Education

Pupils: Assessments

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the covid-19 pandemic on pupils in England sitting exams for the first time this summer.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that students taking exams in England this year are able to provide feedback to schools on their experiences.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment has he made of the potential merits of combining public exams with moderated course work.

Will Quince: The department, together with Ofqual, has put a package of measures in place to recognise the disruption that this year’s students have faced. GCSE and A level students had advanced information on the focus of their exams in most subjects to support revision. Students also benefitted from other changes to exams, including choices of topic or content, and exam aids for some subjects at GCSE. This package of adaptations, combined with Ofqual’s approach to grading this year, provides unprecedented support to maximise fairness and help students reach their potential.Schools are responsible for preparing young people for examinations and will have pastoral and other support in place to help pupils deal with any worries or concerns they might have throughout the exam period.Exams provide a shared understanding of what students know and can do, an even playing field with everyone being assessed on the same thing at the same time. For this reason, non-examined assessment and coursework is used in GCSEs and A levels only where knowledge, skills and understanding cannot be tested validly by an exam. GCSEs and A levels were reformed from 2011 to be in line with the highest performing education systems and we have no plans for further wholesale reform.

Pupils: Travellers

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of educational attainment for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller pupils.

Will Quince: The department recognises the issues faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and young people, and how schools and others can make a positive difference.The department has invested in research into academic progress over the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years with Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute. Our data and research consider the impacts on pupils with particular characteristics, as well as considering regional disparities and area-level deprivation.The department knows that the most significant factor affecting pupil attainment, which cuts across all ethnicities, is economic disadvantage. That is why we have consistently targeted support at the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, with schools continuing to receive additional funding through the pupil premium. Total pupil premium funding will increase to over £2.6 billion this financial year (2022/23), from £2.5 billion last year. On top of this funding, schools serving pupils from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds are likely to attract funding through additional needs factors in the schools national funding formula, specifically through the mobility factor.We are also working closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and will learn any lessons from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Education Area pilots.

Children's Commissioner for England: Written Questions

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 25 June 2018 to Question 155805 and pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2022 to Question 24601, when his Department's policy changed to not contact the Children’s Commissioner with relevant Parliamentary Questions.

Brendan Clarke-Smith: There has not been a change of policy. The hon. Member has asked for information which is not held by the department. Given that the Children’s Commissioner works independently of government, the hon. Member should send relevant questions directly to the Children’s Commissioner.

Academies: Community Schools

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the cost of converting all remaining community schools to academy status.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the cost of transferring all schools into multi-academy trusts of (a) 10 or more schools and (b) 7,500 or more pupils.

Will Quince: The current academisation rate is 46.2% of all state-funded schools, which represents 9,990 academies and free schools compared to 11,623 local authority maintained schools. Of these academies, 54% are in trusts with fewer than ten schools and fewer than 7,500 pupils. The average costs of converting community schools to academy status, and of forming trusts of at least ten schools or 7,500 pupils, will vary significantly. This is because the cost depends on the circumstances of each school and trust at the time, such as whether the school is converting via the sponsored or converter route.

Members: Correspondence

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Sefton Central dated 16 May 2022 regarding Lydiate Primary School, sent via email on 16 May 2022.

Will Quince: The hon. Member for Sefton Central’s correspondence of 16 May 2022 was responded to by my noble Friend, the Minister for the School System, Baroness Barran on 8 June 2022, reference 2022-0018471, and was issued to the email address: bill.esterson.mp@parliament.uk.

Educational Psychology: Training

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many places for trainee educational psychologists his Department will fund in 2023; and whether he is taking steps to increase this number in future years.

Will Quince: Since 2020, the department has increased the number of educational psychologist trainees that we fund to over 200, from 160 per annum. We have invested £30 million to train three more cohorts for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 academic years, to reflect increased demand. The first cohort will enter the workforce in 2023 to provide crucial support to children and young people, schools, families, and local authorities. On 29 March 2022 the department announced a further investment of over £10 million to train over 200 more educational psychologists. These trainees will begin their courses in September 2023, and graduate in 2026.

Schools: Energy

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to publish data collected through the survey it ran on school electricity and gas payments.

Will Quince: The data collected through the survey will be published shortly.

Literacy: Travellers

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help improve literacy rates in adult Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller populations.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department recognises that literacy rates in the adult Gypsy, Roma and Traveller population is a barrier to a range of activities in their everyday lives and in supporting their children’s education. The £1.3 billion Adult Education Budget (AEB)for the 2021/22 academic year fully funds or co-funds skills provision from pre-entry to level 3 and this includes statutory entitlements to fully funded courses in English and mathematics, up to and including level 2, for eligible adult learners, including those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller populations, who have not previously attained a GCSE grade C/4 or higher. In the 2021/22 academic year, approximately 60% of the AEB has been devolved to 9 Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority . These authorities are now responsible for the provision of AEB-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the AEB to providers. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas. The ESFA AEB also includes Community Learning funding which enables more flexible tailored programmes of learning to be made available, which may or may not require a qualification, to help eligible learners engage in learning, develop their skills, including literacy skills, build confidence and/or enhance their wellbeing. Providers are required to prioritise this funding on disadvantaged learners which could include Gypsies, Roma’s and Travellers.

Higher Education: Admissions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether UCAS plans to analyse its data to track young people who (a) receive lower A Level grades in the 2021-22 academic year than predicted as a result of their academic performance having been adversely affected by lockdown and other restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of covid-19 during 2020 and 2021 and (b) will consequently be without any Higher Education place at the end of the 2022 admission round; what discussions she has had with UCAS on steps to take to support young people in that position; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of how the number of finally unplaced young people at the end of the 2022 university admission round will compare to years prior to the covid-19 outbreak; if she will make it her policy to (a) fund additional and specific careers guidance and pastoral support, (b) make available an additional year of full further education funding, (c) provide additional access provision in Higher Education and (d) undertake any other measures needed to support young people in that position; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Jenkyns: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) operates as an independent charity and is separate from the government. The department will continue to work closely with UCAS, schools, colleges, awarding organisations, and the higher education (HE) sector to support the 2022 intake of students, so they can go on to their next step in life, whether that is university, further training, or work.In November 2021, my right hon. Friend, the former Minister for Higher and Further Education, wrote to Vice Chancellors to recognise the hard work and dedication that the sector has shown to students throughout the 2021 and 2022 admissions cycles. The former Minister asked that additional resilience is built into strategies for the 2022 HE admissions cycle. HE sector bodies were engaged through the HE Taskforce to commend them on their efforts to date and to ask that they continue to put students first.In June 2022, UCAS reported that 281,500 UK 18-year-olds were holding a firm offer, up 7,000 on last year and the highest on record. UCAS expect more students than in previous years to gain a place at their firm choice institution. It expects that on A level and T Level Results Day around 80% of students are likely to be confirmed at their firm choice. However, it is important to note that the exact numbers will not be known until 18 August, A level and T Level Results Day.If students do not get the required grades, their preferred HE provider may still offer them a place. In the first instance, students are encouraged to talk to their school or college, or to their preferred university, who may be able to offer some flexibility. Students can also seek advice from the Exam Results Helpline run by the National Careers Service. UCAS will help thousands of students to find places through Clearing or explore other options once they have received their grades and predict that over 30,000 places will be available. Last year, 56,225 students (10%) entered university via Clearing.While HE opens many doors for those who study at this level, it is by no means the right option for everyone, including those with the highest grades. There are multiple options for students to progress, including HE but also traineeships, T Levels, apprenticeships, the Kickstart scheme, and higher technical qualifications.

Department for Education: Staff

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff by (a) number and (b) full-time equivalence worked for each directorate in (i) his Department and (ii) agencies for which he is responsible in (A) each of the last ten financial years and (B) 2022-23.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to maintain the (a) number and (b) full-time equivalent of staff in any of the directorates within (i) his Department and (ii) other public bodies for which he is responsible.

Will Quince: The data on staff numbers working for the department and its executive agencies, over the last few years, can be found here:DfE: monthly workforce management information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). More detailed information on our workforce and structures can be found here:Organogram of Staff Roles & Salaries - data.gov.uk.The data is taken directly from the department’s HR system and snapshots are provided monthly for the first link and quarterly for the second. Our resources are routinely reviewed to ensure we have the right workforce to respond to changing priorities and different operating models for managing staff. Over the period for which the data has been provided, the responsibilities of the department have changed considerably.As recently announced, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister and Cabinet have tasked the Civil Service with bringing its workforce back to 2016 numbers over the next three years, meaning a reduction of around 91,000 roles.The department and our executive agencies, like every other civil service department, are involved in this work and the number of people we have working in the department is under review.No decisions have been made at this point.

Teachers: Career Development and Training

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the provision of training and professional development for teachers.

Will Quince: The department is committed to delivering 500,000 teacher training and development opportunities by 2024. This will give all teachers and school leaders access to world-class, evidence-based training and professional development at every stage of their career.The department is creating an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support, and professional development for all new teachers. Underpinning this is the refreshed Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework (ECF). Together, these ensure that new teachers will benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across ITT and into their induction.Beyond the first few years of teaching, the department will help all teachers and school leaders to continuously develop expertise throughout their careers. We have launched a new and updated suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for teachers and school leaders at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high-quality teaching practice to those leading multiple schools across trusts. Since autumn 2021, eligible teachers and leaders have been able to access scholarships to undertake fully funded NPQs.

Students: Mental Health Services

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help support students with their mental health.

Andrea Jenkyns: To ensure that all students have access to dedicated mental health support, no matter where they study, we have asked the Office for Students (OfS) to fund Student Space, a mental health and wellbeing online platform for students, with up to £3.6 million invested so far. Providing vital mental health and wellbeing resources to all students across the country, it has been accessed by over 250,000 students since its launch in August 2020.We asked the OfS to allocate an additional £15 million towards student mental health in the 2022/23 financial year to help address the challenges to student mental health posed by the transition to university and to support better joined-up working with NHS services. This funding targets those students in greatest need of such services, including vulnerable groups and hard to reach students.To make faster progress, the OfS will allocate up to £3 million of this funding towards developing stronger partnership working with NHS services. Alongside my hon Friend, the member for Chichester, the former Minister of State for Higher and Further Education chaired a summit in June to launch this work and ensure that the department and the Department of Health and Social Care work together to achieve this common goal.The department also supports the University Mental Health Charter led by Student Minds. The University Mental Health Charter intends to drive up standards of practice across the higher education (HE) sector and, so far, 41 HE providers have joined the programme. I have written to heads of HE providers to set the ambition that all HE providers sign up within the next five years.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) grammar schools, (b) Academies, (c) free schools and (d) local authority maintained schools (i) met all of the Gatsby benchmarks for careers guidance and (ii) met at least half of those benchmarks, in the last year for which figures are available.

Andrea Jenkyns: Trends in Careers Education 2021, published by The Careers & Enterprise Company, reports on key findings from the 2020/21 academic year. There is no information on Gatsby Benchmark progress by school type, but the findings include data on average performance against the benchmarks. In 2021, schools and colleges in Careers Hubs reported stronger performance across every benchmark. Schools and colleges that have been part of Careers Hubs for the longest achieved 4.8 Benchmarks on average, compared with 4.4 for all schools and colleges in a Careers Hub, and the national average of 4.0. This is a significant improvement on an average of 1.87 benchmarks met in 2017. We have also seen positive progress on each individual benchmark. For example, 60% of schools and colleges now fully achieve benchmark 4 ‘Linking Careers to the Curriculum’, compared with 12.8% in 2017. These improvements follow the department’s investment in careers infrastructure that is proven to accelerate performance against the Gatsby Benchmarks: Careers Hubs, an Enterprise Adviser Network of senior business volunteers, Careers Leader training and digital support. We are investing £29 million in the 2022/23 financial year for The Careers & Enterprise Company to extend this careers infrastructure to more secondary schools and colleges, as we continue to work towards full national rollout.

Pupils: Refugees

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of Ukrainian school pupils in classrooms across the UK.

Will Quince: The department has started collecting information from each local authority in England on school placements for children from outside of the UK. This includes data on the number of applications and offers made to children from Ukraine. Data relating to the 2021/22 academic year can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-placements-for-children-from-outside-of-the-uk.The data shows that between September 2021 and May 2022 there has been an estimated 9,900 school place offers made to Ukrainian children. The data relates to local authorities in England only.

Students: Assessments

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to provide additional support to students who do not reach their required university grades.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department will continue to work closely with the higher education (HE) sector to support the 2022 intake of students to ensure they can go on to their next step in life following A level and T Level Results day on 18 August.The department, in collaboration with Ofqual, has put in place a package of measures in place to ensure that students can take their exams fairly to recognise the disruption that this year’s students have faced. In addition, this summer Ofqual will ask exam boards to set grade boundaries in a way that avoids disadvantaging some students who might otherwise have just missed out on a higher grade. This means that overall, 2022 results are likely to be higher than in 2019, but lower than we saw in 2021. This package of adaptations, combined with Ofqual’s approach to grading, provides unprecedented support to maximise fairness and help students reach their potential.If students do not get the grades they need, their preferred HE provider may still offer them a place. In the first instance, I encourage students to talk to their school or college, or to their preferred university, who may be able to offer some flexibility. Students can also seek advice from the Exam Results Helpline run by the National Careers Service. Just as they do in any normal year, UCAS will help thousands of students to find places through Clearing if you need or choose to explore other options once students have received their grades.While HE opens many doors for those who study at this level, it is by no means the right option for everyone, including those with the highest grades. There are several options available for students, including Post 16 and 18 technical options, including Traineeships, T Levels, Apprenticeships, Kickstart and Higher Technical Qualifications.

T-levels

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students started to study each T Level course broken down by (a) institution and (b) course in 2021-22.

Andrea Jenkyns: Recruitment information received from the 102 education providers offering T Levels in the 2021 to 2022 academic year shows 5,450 T Level participants. The proportion of participants by T Level route was approximately 1,150 on Construction T Levels, 1,200 on Digital T Levels, 1,500 on Education and Childcare T Levels, and 1,600 on Health and Science T Levels. The department will publish more detailed figures in the 2022 T Level Action Plan in due course. The department has published official data on 16 to 18 year olds’ participation, which includes T Level student numbers, at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/participation-in-education-training-and-employment-2021. This data is not available at institution level, however, we do also publish data on 16-19 funding allocations at institution level, at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-allocation-data-2021-to-2022-academic-year.

Higher Education: Standards

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made to improve the quality of higher education courses.

Andrea Jenkyns: The government is committed to improving the quality of higher education (HE), tackling low-quality courses and ensuring all students, regardless of their background, benefit from high-quality world-leading education.We are taking forward significant regulatory reform with the Office for Students (OfS) which aims to introduce a more rigorous and effective quality regime. This includes setting stringent minimum numerical thresholds for student outcomes, where the OfS is currently considering responses to its consultation, and measures to ensure a high-quality academic experience.HE courses which lead to poor outcomes let down students, fail to provide value-for-money for taxpayers and students, and erode confidence in our world-class university system. Where quality requirements are not being met, the OfS will impose sanctions on providers where appropriate, including financial penalties, suspension from the OfS register or, in the worst cases, deregistration.We have asked the OfS to implement a visible and effective inspections regime where the OfS has concerns about the quality of provision. This will involve on-site inspections. The OfS is delivering this and announced its first wave of onsite inspections on 26 May which will look specifically at Business and Management courses provided by eight HE providers. These will also examine whether poor-quality online learning has replaced face-to-face teaching to the detriment of students’ academic experience.

Turing Scheme

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of participants in the Turing Scheme broken down by sector are from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the most recent period for which data is available.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the transparency of the eligibility criteria for funding through the Turing Scheme; and whether applicants are able to appeal unsuccessful applications.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential demotivating effect on schools of the low success rate for Turing funding applications.

Andrea Jenkyns: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:2021/22 academic year: 131 schools applied, 114 were successful, 87% success rate.2022/23 academic year: 157 schools applied, 70 were successful, 45% success rate.The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/. We do not collect data relating to which aspect of the criteria relates to each participant, so cannot answer specifically on lower socio-economic backgrounds.A full breakdown of funding provided for placements by sector for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years is provided on the Turing Scheme website. The funding results for 2021/22 are available here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results/ and 2022/23 here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/.The eligibility criteria and assessment criteria for applications is published in the Turing Scheme Programme Guide for the relevant year. Turing Scheme funded projects are assessed on four main objectives:Global Britain – In line with the UK Government’s vision of a Global Britain, Turing Scheme projects support high-quality placements, enhance existing partnerships and encourage the forging of new relationships across the world.Levelling up – Turing Scheme projects widen participation and support social mobility across the UK. They should help and promote equal access and opportunities to all students, learners and pupils regardless of background.Developing key skills – These projects offer unique, career-building opportunities. They give participants the hard and soft skills sought by employers and bridge the gap between education and work.Value for UK taxpayers – These projects optimise social value in terms of potential costs, benefits and risks.The Programme Guide also sets out the appeals process for unsuccessful applicants. These are available on the Turing Scheme website.Feedback and guidance are available to all applicants, including those who are considering making an application to the Turing Scheme in future, to ensure their projects and applications are as robust as possible for consideration in future years.

Education: Autism

Sir Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to gather information about the number of education professionals who have training on autism.

Will Quince: The department does not hold or plan to gather information on the number of education professionals who have training specifically on autism.Once teachers qualify and are employed in schools, headteachers and school staff use their professional judgement to identify any further training, including specific specialisms, for individual staff that is relevant to them, the school, and its pupils. Schools do not report information to the department on additional specialist training of this nature. However, all teachers are teachers of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and we are committed to ensuring that all pupils can reach their potential and receive excellent support from their teachers.Consideration of SEND underpins both the initial teacher training (ITT) core content framework (CCF) and early career framework (ECF), which were both produced with the support of sector experts.ITT courses must be designed so that teacher trainees can demonstrate that they meet all of the Teachers' Standards at the appropriate level, including the requirement in Standard 5, that all teachers must have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils.The government invested £74 million into the first year of our new National Autism Strategy, published in July 2021 and extended to children and young people for the first time. It aims to improve the lives of people with autism, for example through improving access to quality education. We will publish our second implementation plan this year.In February, the department announced funding which includes nearly £12 million for the new Universal Services contract, to deliver SEND-specific continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce. This will help schools and colleges to support children and young people with SEND, including autism, and includes specific support on the needs of autistic children and young people.

Qualifications

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2022 to Question 26814 on Qualifications, how many of the independent assessors that were commissioned to evaluate qualifications that overlap with T-Levels are (a) employed and (b) formerly employed by (i) his Department or (ii) its agencies.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department appointed six independent experts, through a competitive procurement, to evaluate qualifications against the three overlap tests. The experts were selected based on relevant experience and expertise, such as qualification design, development, delivery, and assessment approaches.We are unable to release any personal information on their prior employment history.

Employment and Further Education

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate collaboration between colleges and employers.

Andrea Jenkyns: The introduction of the new Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIP) will forge closer and more dynamic relationships between employers and colleges as they work together to meet an area’s technical skills needs.The eight LSIP Trailblazers engaged a range of employers and skills providers, helping to forge relationships and networks that had not previously existed. We are making good progress on the next stage of rolling out LSIP across the country, and we expect to designate the first tranche of employer representative bodies to lead on the development of the plans in the early autumn.The rollout of LSIP will build on the excellent provider and employer collaboration that has been built upon through apprenticeships, T Levels and our other skills reforms.

British Students Abroad: USA

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department provides to English students studying a full degree at a university in the US.

Andrea Jenkyns: Students are eligible for student finance only where their course is offered by a UK registered provider, and is substantially provided in the UK so that at least half of the teaching and supervision which comprise the course is provided in the UK. This ensures that funding is focused on eligible students studying within the UK.To extend loan support to every student, no matter where they study, would involve substantial additional costs to the taxpayer, who already heavily subsidise the loan scheme.The Fulbright Scholarship global programme provides the largest merit-based scholarship in the world, operating in 144 countries with bilateral programmes in 49 of them. The US-UK Fulbright Commission is responsible for administering the Fulbright Programme in the UK and is co-funded by the US and UK governments.

Student Unions

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Students’ Unions he has engaged with since 13 May 2022.

Andrea Jenkyns: My right hon. Friend, the former Secretary of State for Education has not engaged with any students’ unions since 13 May 2022.The former Minister of State for Universities regularly met representatives of students’ unions, including most recently on a visit to the University of Exeter on 19 May 2022.Although the government has disengaged with the National Union of Students, we continue to work with individual students’ unions and students more broadly, and officials from the department are careful to ensure that the views of students are able to contribute to policy development as appropriate.

Universities: Admissions

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of people who deferred entry to university in 2021-22 on offer rates for the academic year 2022-23.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department continues to work closely with the higher education (HE) sector to support the 2022 intake of students to ensure they can go on to their next step in life whether that’s university, on-the-job training, moving into employment or continuing to study elsewhere.We are confident that the impact of deferrals on offer rates for the academic year 2022/23 will be minimal. The UCAS end of cycle figures for the 2021/22 academic year cycle show that 6.5% of all accepted applicants deferred their place, a figure that is within 1 percentage point of the proportion who deferred in 2019/20 and 2020/21. There is no cap on the number of people who can go into HE and universities are prepared to meet the potential demand.The department encourages students applying to university to be ambitious with their study choices and take the time to consider the route that is best for them. A large proportion of universities, including many in the Russell Group, will have places available in Clearing, which will provide opportunities for those who may have just missed their predicted grades.

Life Sciences: North East

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support universities in the North East to provide skilled graduates for the region’s life science sector.

Andrea Jenkyns: The department has worked with Universities UK, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, the Institute of Student Employers, the Office for Students (OfS), and across the sector to understand what more we can do to support graduates looking to enter the labour market. This includes supporting graduates to work in life sciences.We have also developed the graduate employment and skills guide, which was published on 10 May 2021 on the OfS’ website. The guide signposts graduate to public, private, and voluntary sector opportunities to help them build employability skills, gain work experience, or enter the labour market.Additionally, the Medical Research Council targets around £85 million each year towards developing research careers, supporting around 1,600 PhD students. Many students are based within North East Universities, including Newcastle University.

Care Leavers: Death

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to release publicly accessible data on deaths of care-leavers in addition to deaths of children in care already published.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Working Together to Safeguard Children' guidance, updated on 1 July 2022, whether he plans to make changes to that guidance so that local authorities are required to notify his Department following the death of a care-leaver.

Brendan Clarke-Smith: The latest figures on the number of deaths of care leavers were published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions-methodology#content-section-4-content-11. The table shows rounded data between 2019 and 2021 for care leavers who have died aged between 17 and 21. A young person will be recorded in more than one year, for example, if a young person died in the year they turned 20, then they will also be reported in the figures the following year for those aged 21.The department is considering a revision to the statutory ‘Working together to safeguard children (2018)’ guidance as part of the detailed and ambitious implementation strategy that will be published later this year in response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, national review into the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson and the Competition and Markets Authority study. The guidance currently places a duty on local authorities to notify the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel when a child dies or is seriously harmed, and neglect or abuse is known or suspected. In addition, local authorities are also required to notify the department and Ofsted of the death of a looked after child, regardless of neglect or abuse being known or suspected. The department will consider whether to revise the requirement on local authorities to include the notification of the death of a care leaver as part of this consultation process.

Ministry of Justice

Rape: Wales

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the average time it takes to prosecute an offender for rape in Wales over the last five years; and for what reason prosecutions for rape have declined in England and Wales by 70 per cent during that time.

Tom Pursglove: Specific timeliness data at the stage of prosecution is owned by the CPS and the AGO. However, I am keenly aware that timeliness in rape cases is an issue nationally, and at every stage of the system. Through the data delivery dashboards, we are working with partners at local level, including in Wales, to understand specific contexts and trend analysis, and to make improvements.In June 2021, we published the End to End Rape Review report and action plan with our plan to transform the way the criminal justice system responds to rape and increase the number of adult rape cases being charged and going to court.Our research within this report set out that the reasons for the decline in cases reaching court are complex and wide-ranging, including an increase in personal digital data being requested, delays in investigative processes, strained relationships between different parts of the criminal justice system, a lack of specialist resources and inconsistent support to victims.Since the report was published, we have made significant progress in delivering actions to change the system for the better. We are:Regularly publishing the CJS delivery data dashboard, which includes data for adult rape cases specifically. This allows us to increase transparency, increase understanding of the justice system and support collaboration, especially at a local level.Expanding support for victims, including creating a national 24/7 support line for victims of rape and sexual abuse, so that every victim can access support whenever and wherever they need it. We are more than quadrupling funding for victim support services, from £41m in 2009/10 to £192m by 2024/25, and using this additional ringfenced funding to increase the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors (ISVAs and IDVAs) by 300, to over 1000 by 2024/25 - a 43 percent increase over the next three years.Establishing suspect-focused rape investigations – known as Operation Soteria – across five police forces. We will expand to 14 more by September, with a national rollout completed by June 2023.Boosting the number of police officers, and specialist rape and sexual offences roles within the CPS, so that they have the capacity and capability to investigate rape cases more effectively. The CPS has committed to increasing its rape and serious sexual offences workforce by 194 – from 433 – by the end of March 2023.Expanding pre-recorded cross-examination (Section 28) for victims of sexual violence and modern slavery in Crown Courts nationwide – with this vital measure now available in almost half of all Crown Courts (37 locations). The Government is committed to rolling it out nationwide by September.Alongside our progress update published in June, we additionally announced a pilot of enhanced specialist sexual violence support in the Crown Court. This is aimed squarely at doing better by rape victims, giving them the support they need to stay engaged in the process and get the justice they deserve.We are starting to see the results of these interventions. Rape convictions were up by 67% in 2021 compared to 2020, and 27% compared to 2019.We are committed to going further and pushing harder on our actions so that we see bigger impacts, deliver wider system change and crucially, deliver justice for victims of rape and sexual abuse.

Coroners: Legal Aid Scheme

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 25 of his Department's publication entitled Final Report: Review of legal aid for inquests, if his Department will publish the method by which it assessed that it would cost between £30 million and £70 million to provide non-means tested legal aid in the event that it be awarded to families at all inquests where public bodies are represented.

Miss Sarah Dines: Our assessment of cost was derived from a number of data sources: data from the January to March 2018 edition of the Legal Aid Statistics was used to determine the current volume and costs of inquests receiving legal aid and a unit cost for an inquest was assumed using median spend; the Coroners Statistics 2017 were used to estimate the annual number of future inquests; a survey of senior coroners was used to inform an assumption for the proportion of inquests that had public bodies represented and given the level of uncertainty on this, a range was used. By combining this assumption with the total number of inquests we arrived at an estimated volume of cases annually that would have state representation. Applying the unit cost of inquests to the estimated volumes gave an estimated additional spend ranging from £30m to £70m (rounded to the nearest £10m).

Ministry of Justice: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.

Miss Sarah Dines: I refer the honourable member to the answers given to PQ 11689 on 8 June 2022 and PQ 18922 on 20 June 2022. MoJ engaged the following consultancies during these periods: 4CAccentureActicaArcadisAstuteAtkinsBloomBowdler Project ManagementBright Green LearningCentre for Justice InnovationCMH ConsultConcerto PartnersDeloitteEficcioErnst & YoungHealth HRIBMKPMGMaureen Carson Health Executive Consultancy LtdMott MacDonaldPA ConsultingPositive ImpactPrivate PublicPWCTriadVeracityWhitmuirWork Psychology GroupXPS

Prisons: North East

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether prisons in the North East have been used as a place of safety for women fleeing domestic abuse.

Tom Pursglove: The Bail Act 1976 creates a general presumption in favour of bail. The court can, however, refuse bail for a variety of reasons, including where it is satisfied that refusing bail is necessary for the defendant's own protection (adults) or own welfare (youth). The court’s decision to remand an individual in custody for their own protection is used as a last resort and out of concern for the defendant, where circumstances are such that a defendant would come to harm if released into the community and there is no other suitable option available to the courts. The Department does not centrally hold data on the reasons for remand into custody although we understand, anecdotally, that the power to remand for own protection is used sparingly. The Government is committed to tackling domestic abuse. This commitment is demonstrated by our landmark Domestic Abuse Act last year, and more recently the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan. The Act has established a wide-ranging statutory definition of domestic abuse that incorporates a range of abusive behaviours beyond physical violence, brings in important new protections and support for victims in court and creates new offences such as non-fatal strangulation. Building on the Act, the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan seeks to transform the whole of society’s response in order to prevent offending, support victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to strengthen the systems and processes in place to deliver these goals.

Treasury

Business Rates

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about the operation of the business rates system; and if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits for businesses of a reform of the business rates system.

Lucy Frazer: The Final Report of the Business Rates Review was published at Autumn Budget 2021. The report reaffirms the importance of business rates for raising revenue for essential local services and announces a package of changes worth £7 billion over the next 5 years. The review has implemented significant new measures to reduce the burden of business rates on firms, including a freeze in the multiplier, new support for improvements and green technology, and further relief for high street businesses. The Government is committing to more frequent revaluations, which represents significant reform of the system and will ensure that liabilities are more responsive to changing market conditions. This addresses a key ask of stakeholders for more frequent revaluations, and to reduce the burden of business rates to make the system fairer. As with all elements of tax policy, the Government keeps this under review.

Business: Coronavirus

Pat McFadden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has met the (a) Taxpayer Protection Taskforce or (b) National Crime Agency to discuss fraud in the covid-19 support schemes since his appointment as Chancellor.

Lucy Frazer: Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with the National Crime Agency and Taxpayer Protection Taskforce to discuss shared policy interests, such as the response to fraud. The Government has invested over £100 million in the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce to combat fraud on the HMRC Covid-19 schemes, one of the largest and quickest responses to a fraud risk by HMRC. In 2021-22 the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce prevented more than £350 million from being lost through error and fraud in the COVID-19 financial support schemes. Overall, since the start of the schemes, the amount of money either recovered or blocked from being paid out totals more than £1.2 billion, with compliance activity still ongoing.

Mental Health: Research

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of increasing spending on mental health research for the next five years.

Mr Simon Clarke: HM Treasury ministers are frequently in contact with Department for Health and Social Care ministers on a wide range of issues, including mental health research. HM Treasury ministers will continue to engage with Department for Health and Social Care ministers on these matters.

Public Sector: Workplace Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many responses his Department received to its consultation on the methodology the Government uses to set the SCAPE discount rate.

Mr Simon Clarke: The SCAPE discount rate is used in the valuation of unfunded public service pension schemes to set employer contribution rates and is set by HM Treasury following a prescribed methodology. A consultation was published in June 2021 seeking views on the objectives for the SCAPE discount rate and the most appropriate methodology going forward. Following the consultation’s publication, the Government ran engagement sessions to ensure stakeholders were given the opportunity to express their views. Meetings were also held with members of Scheme Advisory Boards from across the UK relating to each public service workforce, and views were sought from the Government Actuary. Most stakeholders have followed up with formal written responses. The Government has received 51 responses from a broad range of respondents. These include individuals, trade unions and other member representative bodies, Scheme Advisory Boards, employers and employer representative bodies, actuarial and pensions specialists, and pensions administrators.The consultation response will be published in due course.

Cost of Living Payments: Northern Ireland

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to deliver cost of living support to families In Northern Ireland.

Mr Simon Clarke: The government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. In May, we announced over £15 billion of additional cost of living support, targeted at those with the greatest need. As a result, millions of vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of support this financial year, with the vast majority of households receiving at least £550. This package builds on the over £22 billion previously announced, meaning government support for the cost of living now totals over £37 billion this year, equivalent to 1.5% of GDP. As I have set out , the UK Government is urgently working to ensure the people of Northern Ireland receive the equivalent of the 26 May Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) expansion announcement as soon as possible. The UK Government is working at pace to identify a route to deliver support and to set out the details linked to this commitment.   We are supporting the most vulnerable households, by giving direct UK-wide support through one-off cost of living payments of £650 for households on means-tested benefits (with the first payments of £326 delivered from 14 July), £300 for pensioners households and £150 for individuals in receipt non-means tested disability benefits. The government is also providing £500m of further support through the Household Support Fund. The Barnett formula provides around £79m of this to the devolved administrations of which around £14m will go to Northern Ireland.

Government Departments: Innovation

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on which date the Innovation Challenge will open to civil servants to submit ideas.

Mr Simon Clarke: The launch of the innovation challenge will be announced in due course.

Refugees: Ukraine

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much and what proportion of the Government's Official Development Assistance budget has been spent on supporting Ukrainian refugees in the UK in the 2022-23 financial year.

Mr Simon Clarke: The cost of supporting refugees from Ukraine in the 2022-23 financial year will be determined by the number of arrivals by end March 2023. As of 14 July 2022, total arrivals of Ukraine Scheme visa holders in the UK are 95,400, of which 29,700 have arrived under the Ukraine Family Scheme and 65,600 have arrived under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. Eligible costs will be reported as ODA and counted towards the 0.5% GNI ODA spending commitment. ODA spend is measured on a calendar year basis, so ODA costs incurred for the 2022-23 financial year will be included in the ODA reporting for the 2022 and 2023 calendar years. ODA eligible spend is reported in the government’s annual Statistics on International Development publication.[1] [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development

Energy Bills Rebate: Northern Ireland

Peter Kyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to ensure that households in Northern Ireland will be able to receive the £400 energy bill discount of in October 2022.

Mr Simon Clarke: As I have set out , the UK Government is urgently working to ensure the people of Northern Ireland receive the equivalent of the 26 May Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) expansion announcement as soon as possible. The UK Government is working at pace to identify a route to deliver support and to set out the details linked to this commitment.

Carbon Emissions: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions has he had with the (a) the Welsh Government, (b) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (c) Development Bank of Wales on the potential role of the UK Infrastructure Bank is supporting Wales' net-zero transition.

Richard Fuller: The UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) has a mandate to tackle climate change and support regional and local economic growth across the UK. The Bank is operationally independent. The then-Chancellor wrote to the Bank on 18th March 2022 to provide it with a non-statutory strategic steer outlining the government's policy priorities for the institution and to provide additional clarity on its mandate.This strategic steer encouraged the Bank to develop strong relationships with the devolved administrations and their institutions to ensure it is able to effectively deliver its mandate across all four nations. This letter has been published and is available on gov.uk.In line with this strategic steer, the Bank is engaging with the Welsh Government and the Development Bank of Wales on its investment activities. Further details on the Bank’s plans to work with devolved bodies is set out in its Strategic Plan which was published on 23rd June 2022.

Cheques

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the level of demand for use cheques as payment amongst (a) businesses and (b) charities.

Richard Fuller: Cheques remain an important part of the UK’s payments landscape. While there has been a decline in overall cheque volumes, they continue to be used by many individuals, businesses, charities, and other voluntary organisations. HM Treasury does not currently have plans to undertake a formal assessment of cheque volumes.

Fuels: Prices

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on taking steps to help ensure that long-term fuel prices do not contribute to inflation.

Alan Mak: To date, higher inflation has been pushed up by global pressures, such as the economic recovery from Covid-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, supply chain bottlenecks and restricted access to oil has increased the cost of fuel. At Spring Statement 2022 in response to high fuel prices, the government announced a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre. This is the largest cash-terms cut across all fuel duty rates at once, ever, and is only the second time in 20 years that main rates of petrol and diesel have been cut. This cut represents savings for households and businesses worth around £2.4 billion in 2022-23.

Self-Employed: Car Allowances

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review the mileage allowance rates for self-employed people in the context of recent increases in the cost of fuel.

Alan Mak: Self-employed people can get tax relief for fuel and other business motoring expenses using either the simplified mileage rate or by claiming capital allowances and actual expenses. The mileage rate is an easier way of calculating the costs of owning and running a vehicle for tax purposes, intended to balance accuracy with administrative simplicity for businesses by using an average. This means that the rate will be more appropriate for some drivers than for others. Fuel is only one component of the rate, as it also covers the business proportion of other motoring costs such as servicing, insurance and depreciation. The Government keeps all taxes under review, including the simplified mileage rate for the self-employed.

Domicil

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with officials in his Department on non-domiciled tax status.

Lucy Frazer: The Government keeps all tax policy under review, and the Chancellor attends policy discussions with officials as part of this process.

Sovereign Wealth Funds: Taxation

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many responses his Department has received to its consultation on the proposed reform of the UK’s sovereign immunity from direct tax policy.

Lucy Frazer: The sovereign immunity consultation was launched on 4 July and will close on 12 September. As of 15 July, the Government has not received any consultation responses.

Local Housing Allowance

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the full list of rents for England used to calculate the Local Housing Allowance rates for 2022-3.

Lucy Frazer: The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) list of rents are published here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-housing-allowance-list-of-rents. As the LHA rate has been frozen, the most recent list of rents published is for 2020-21. Therefore, the data used to calculate the LHA for 2022-23 remains the same as that used for 2020-21.

Business Rates: Reform

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of reforming business rates.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of replacing business rates with (a) profit- or (b) turnover-related taxation for the purposes of enabling competitiveness with online retail.

Lucy Frazer: At Autumn Budget 2021, the final report of the Business Rates Review was published. The review reaffirms the importance of business rates for raising revenue for essential local services and concludes there is no alternative which would raise sufficient revenue to replace them without significant trade-offs. The review delivered meaningful reforms to the system, reducing the burden of business rates with a package of changes worth £7 billion to business over the next five years. This includes a freeze in the multiplier, new support for improvements and green technology, and further relief for high street businesses. The Government has also committed to more frequent revaluations from 2023, which will make the system fairer and more responsive for all ratepayers. The Government keeps all taxes under review and any changes are considered and announced by the Chancellor.

Domicil

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were registered as non-domicile for tax purposes in 2021-22; and how much (a) income tax, (b) capital gains tax and (c) national insurance contributions was paid by those people for tax purposes in 2021-22.

Lucy Frazer: HMRC publishes annual statistics on the numbers of non-domiciled taxpayers including their tax and National Insurance liabilities. These statistics are normally published in July. Figures for tax year ending 2020 are available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-non-domiciled-taxpayers-in-the-uk. For tax year ending 2020, HMRC estimates that 75,700 non-domiciled taxpayers were liable for £5,593 million in Income Tax, £244 million in Capital Gains Tax, and £2,016 million in National Insurance Contributions. These figures include all non-domiciled taxpayers providing tax returns regardless of their tax residence. These figures do not include formerly non-domiciled UK residents who are now deemed as UK domiciled for UK tax purposes. HMRC intends to publish updated figures including tax year ending 2021 on 28 July 2022. Figures for tax year ending 2022 are not available until next summer.

Domicil

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK residents with registered non-domiciled tax status.

Lucy Frazer: HMRC’s latest published estimate of the number of non-domiciled UK resident taxpayers in tax year ending 2020 was 62,200. This figure does not include formerly non-domiciled UK residents who are now deemed as UK domiciled for UK tax purposes. HMRC plans to publish updated figures on 28 July 2022.

Electric Vehicles: Tax Allowances

Conor McGinn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with firms across the vehicle leasing sector on the potential merits of extending benefit-in-kind taxation rates for battery electric cars beyond 2024-25.

Alan Mak: Like all taxes, benefit-in-kind tax rates for company cars, also known as Company Car Tax (CCT), are kept under review. The Government aims to announce CCT rates at least two years ahead of implementation to provide certainty for employers, employees and fleet operators.

Revenue and Customs: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many residents in Newport West have waited longer than 15 days to receive a refund from HMRC in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained, compiled, and collated at disproportionate cost.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2022 to Question 17100 on Diesel: Prices, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of an essential user rebate of 15ppl on fuel duty; and whether he has had recent discussions on this topic with the representatives of the Road Haulage Association.

Alan Mak: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on (20 June) to the Hon Member for Weaver Vale. Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Taxpayer Protection Taskforce: Staff

Pat McFadden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time equivalent staff the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce employed as of 12 July 2022.

Pat McFadden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value of fraudulent loans and grants recovered by the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce is since its inception.

Lucy Frazer: At Spring Budget 2021 the Government announced a £100 million investment into the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce. The taskforce was established to extend HMRC’s work to tackle fraud and error in the COVID support schemes that they administered (Self Employment Income Support Scheme, Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and Eat Out to Help Out). The taskforce does not deliver compliance across schemes administered outside HMRC. Anyone who keeps grant money despite knowing they were not entitled to it, faces having to repay up to double the amount they received, plus interest and potentially criminal prosecution. HMRC identifies claims for compliance checks where the amount of the claim is out of step with other information. The risk that the claim is incorrect may be due to either an honest mistake or fraud, therefore, the value of recovered grants does not distinguish between error and fraud. As of July 2022, the taskforce was made up of 1,155 full-time equivalent staff (FTE). The FTE will vary across the year. The resource commitment is proportionate to the number of high-risk claims made and the risks posed by error and fraud in the HMRC administered schemes. The taskforce commenced activity from April 2021 and will build on the £536 million already recovered in 2020-21. Taskforce performance for 2021-22 is covered in HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22, which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022. This is in addition to the amounts that HMRC prevented from being paid out on incorrect claims.

Home Shopping: Taxation

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on the Online Sales tax policy consultation following that consultation's closure.

Lucy Frazer: The Government announced at the Autumn Budget 2021 that it would continue to explore the arguments for and against an Online Sales Tax, the revenue from which would be used to provide business rates relief for in-store retail. The consultation, which was published on 25 February and ran for 12 weeks, has now closed. The Government conducted extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders and is currently reviewing the feedback received. It will publish a response to the consultation on the Government’s website in due course.

Debt Collection

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many responses his Department has received to its consultation on the Statutory Debt Repayment Plan.

Richard Fuller: The Government’s public consultation on draft regulations for the Statutory Debt Repayment Plan (SDRP) was launched on 13 May and will close on 5 August. As of 18 July, the Government has received 5 formal responses to this consultation. However, this is highly unlikely to be representative of the total number of responses that will be received, as it is expected that many of those will be received closer to the deadline. There has been significant interest in the consultation so far, from a wide range of stakeholders in the debt advice and consumer credit sectors, and the Government continues to engage closely with these stakeholders to support the development of the scheme.

Off-payroll Working

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a timeframe for when his Department will respond to the call for evidence on the umbrella company market.

Alan Mak: The Government recently ran a Call for Evidence on the umbrella company market to ensure it has a detailed and up to date understanding of the market. This Call for Evidence, which was issued jointly by HM Treasury, HMRC and BEIS, closed on 22 February 2022. Officials in the three departments are working closely together to consider the evidence submitted and will publish the Government's response in due course.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department have had with (a) industry representatives and (b) other stakeholders on the Alcohol Duty Review.

Alan Mak: The Government has been frequently engaging with industry, public health groups and other stakeholders as part of its alcohol duty review consultation. Details of Ministerial meetings are published regularly on GOV.UK, and can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Treasury: Ministerial Responsibility

Pat McFadden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether ministerial responsibilities in his Department have changed following the recent appointment of new ministers.

Alan Mak: All ministerial responsibilities are published on gov.uk.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Colombia: Politics and Government

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the President-elect of Colombia.

Vicky Ford: The Foreign Secretary has not yet had discussions with the president-elect. The Prime Minister wrote to Gustavo Petro last month to congratulate him on his election and our Embassy is in close contact with the president-elect's team. We look forward to working with him after his inauguration on 7 August 2022.

Development Aid

Nigel Mills: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the 2022 International Development Strategy, if she will increase funding for programmes focused on delivering universal, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Vicky Ford: The Foreign Secretary has said we intend to restore bilateral funding for women and girls, which includes programmes focused on universal, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights. The FCDO is working to complete its business and country planning process as soon as possible, which will allow us to finalise budget allocations, taking account of our Spending Review settlement. We cannot comment on funding allocations until this is finalised.

Alaa Abdel Fattah

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help secure consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah.

Graham Stuart: Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government urgently to grant consular access to Alaa Abdel Fattah. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, the Minister of State for North Africa, raised the case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during a call on 21 May; Lord (Tariq) Ahmad and the Foreign Secretary also raised the case with Minister Shoukry during the Foreign Minister's recent visit to London.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 12 July to Question 27570, when the final decision will be taken on each Expression of Interest (EOI); how long it is taking on average to process an EOI under ACRS Pathway 3; and how many EOI have been processed since the 13 June 2022.

Graham Stuart: We have so far received over 4500 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) under ACRS Pathway 3 since the online form was opened on 20 June. We are not yet in a position to say when final decisions will be taken on each of these EOIs, or to provide an average processing time. We are working as quickly as possible, processing EOIs in the order they are received. Those who are eligible and are referred for resettlement under the ACRS will be informed by email with advice on the next steps.

Turkey: Refugees

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will hold discussions with her counterpart in Turkey on (a) reports of deportations from Turkey of Afghan nationals who have fled the Taliban to Afghanistan and (b) establishing a mechanism to allow undocumented refugees who have fled the Taliban in Afghanistan to apply for asylum in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: Turkey retains the sovereign right to decide who it admits into and deports from the country and has no obligation to explain its decisions to other governments. Deportations are conducted either to deportees' own countries or to another country considered safe by Turkey.Through Pathway 2 of the UK Government's Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), we are able to receive referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of vulnerable refugees who have fled Afghanistan, for resettlement to the UK. Through the ACRS we will resettle up to 20,000 people at risk from Afghanistan and the region.

Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much of the £220 million allocated by the Government for humanitarian assistance and support in Ukraine has been disbursed as of 14 July 2022.

Graham Stuart: To date, approximately £117 million (53%) of the £220 million has been spent, in line with agreements reached with partners. Payments include £35 million to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), £25 million to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, £15 million to UNICEF, £10 million to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and £10.1 million of our £25.1 million in matched funding to the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal, which is being delivered by UK NGOs. It is standard practice for payments to partners to be spread over time to ensure a sustained and effective response.

Russia: Lobbying

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) she or (b) any ministers in her Department have met with Russian=based companies since 24 February 2022.

Graham Stuart: Neither the Foreign Secretary, nor any other Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ministers, have met with Russia-based companies since the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The former Minister for Europe had an interview with TV Rain on 21 June, an independent media company forced out of Russia by the Kremlin's crackdown on media freedom.

Russia: Lobbying

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ban lobbying of UK government officials by firms based in Russia.

Graham Stuart: We do not have a policy to ban lobbying by firms based in specific countries. We do however have robust measures to provide transparency and powerful tools to deter illicit or harmful activity when that arises. The National Security Bill, currently before Parliament, will provide a range of additional tools and powers to tackle state threats, including activity which amounts to foreign interference in UK public life.

Abdullah al-Huwaiti

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to the Government of Saudi Arabia following the Saudi Arabian Appeals Court’s decision of 13 June 2022 to uphold a death sentence against Abdullah al-Howaiti for crimes allegedly committed when he was 14 years old.

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to end the use of the death penalty against minors in all circumstances.

Amanda Milling: The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We raise concern regarding all known juvenile death penalty defendants with the Saudi authorities. The British Embassy Riyadh closely monitors the cases of all juvenile death penalty defendants and regularly attempts to attend their trials. We raise human rights at all levels with the Saudi authorities, including ministerial channels. On 23 May I raised concerns about juvenile death penalty sentencing with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK.

Saudi Arabia: Prisoners

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to take further steps in line with their international obligations to protect the welfare of prisoners of conscience, including Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani allegedly held in a wing reserved for inmates with mental disorders and assaulted on 26 May 2022.

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in Saudi Arabia on securing the immediate and unconditional release of (a) Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, (b) Waleed Abu al-Khair, (c) Mohammed al-Oteibi and (d) other prisoners of conscience.

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to end the imposition of (a) travel bans and (b) other restrictions on (i) Loujain Al-Hathloul, (ii) Samar Badawi, (iii) Raif Badawi and (iv) other human rights activists released from prison.

Amanda Milling: Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country. No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We raise human rights with the Saudi authorities at all levels, including ministerial channels. This includes raising individual detentions. The Minister responsible for Human Rights discussed detentions with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK on 27 May and raised concern about prison conditions during his visit to Saudi Arabia in February 2022.

Lebanon: Armed Conflict

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with her international counterparts to help safeguard the territorial integrity of Lebanon.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether officials in her Department have made recent representations to their US counterparts on Lebanese maritime boundaries.

Amanda Milling: We support the ongoing US-led talks between Israel and Lebanon on their maritime border. Resolving this long-standing issue will increase regional security and prosperity, which benefits all of us.

Indonesia: Visits Abroad

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the cost to the public purse was of her shortened trip to Indonesia in July 2022.

Amanda Milling: In accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office publishes the costs related to all overseas Ministerial travel as part of the regular Cabinet Office Transparency Return https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings

Torture

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendations set out in the UN report entitled Towards torture-free trade: examining the feasibility, scope and parameters for possible common international standards, published on 30 May 2022.

Vicky Ford: The UK is committed to preventing and controlling the trade in goods that could be used for capital punishment or torture, and is a member of the Global Alliance for Torture-Free Trade.Regulation (EU) 2019/125 of 16 January 2019, concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment ("the Torture Regulation") includes prohibitions on the export, import, transit, brokering, training, and promotion/advertising of specified goods, which have no practical use other than for the purpose of capital punishment, or torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Torture Regulation has been retained in UK law following the exit from the EU.The UK considers it is important at this time to remain flexible as to the nature of any future common international standards, at least until their potential scope and content become clearer. We welcome the UN report and will consider it with interest and encourage the UN to continue their work on this.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the Global Fund’s investment case for the seventh replenishment, including (a) return on investment, (b) how this will support the (i) UK's trading relationships and (ii) economic development of low and middle income countries and (c) value for money.

Amanda Milling: The UK is the Global Fund's third largest donor historically, investing £4.1 billion since 2002. We are currently reviewing the Global Fund's investment case for the 7th replenishment against the priorities of the International Development Strategy. Modellers have estimated that each £1 invested in the Global Fund's 7th replenishment will deliver £31 of benefits in health gains and economic returns in the low- and middle-income countries where the Global Fund invests. The Global Fund offers good value for money, delivering health best buys such as market shaping, prevention, and ensuring that interventions reach the most vulnerable. Moreover, investment in the Global Fund complements the UK's trade offer to developing countries, where our aim is to give these countries the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) Global Fund’s contribution to pandemic preparedness and (b) the level of additional UK aid that would support that contribution at the seventh replenishment conference.

Amanda Milling: The UK Government is shaping its investments to improve how the world prevents, prepares for, and responds to future disease outbreaks of pandemic potential. The UK has not yet determined our pledge to the Global Fund's 7th replenishment. As an active member of the Board the UK will continue to support the Global Fund to define its evolving role in Pandemic Preparedness and Response within its new 2023-2028 strategy.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions has she had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment and maintaining the UK Government's commitment to that fund.

Amanda Milling: The Global Fund is a high performing organisation that, with partners, has saved 44 million lives to date. The UK is proud to be the organisations third largest donor historically, investing over £4.1 billion since 2002. Through participation in the cross-Whitehall Global Health Oversight Group, senior officials in HM Treasury (HMT) have been briefed on the strategic importance of the UK's investment in the Global Fund. The UK has not yet determined our pledge to the Global Fund's 7th replenishment. We are currently reviewing the Global Fund's 7th replenishment investment case in line with delivering the International Development Strategy and HMT Ministers will be consulted on the final UK replenishment contribution. The Global Fund remains a key partner to the UK in the shared fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2022 to Question 106747 on Developing Countries: Coronavirus, what steps her Department is taking to help low-income countries to improve the capacity of their health systems to achieve their national target for vaccinating populations against covid-19.

Amanda Milling: The UK is working with COVAX, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other partners to support low-income countries in developing sustainable approaches to managing COVID-19 and other diseases. This means integrating COVID-19 vaccination and access to tests and treatment into primary health care. We support countries to set national targets, tailored to their context and priorities.The UK continues to support strong and resilient national health systems, including public health functions such as surveillance, community engagement and vaccine confidence, to prevent and prepare for future disease outbreaks. For example, the UK leads the partner co-ordination group in Ethiopia, where our support to the national health system includes technical assistance for COVID-19 vaccination policy and delivery planning.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Disclosure of Information

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she will respond to the Subject Access Request, FCDO Ref: DPR2022/08995, submitted to her on 17 March.

Vicky Ford: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is continuing to review and process a large amount of information that was returned in our searches. We must review all information returned to assess whether it is personal information and, if so, whether any exemptions such as the personal data of third parties apply. Our Information Rights Unit has recently been able to allocate additional resources to help with all such cases, however given the large quantity of information in this case, it is unlikely that we will be in a position to respond before September.

Uganda: Food Aid

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what nutrition and food security funding has been (a) allocated and (b) disbursed to programmes in Uganda in 2022 as of 14 July.

Vicky Ford: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has allocated £9.9 million to be spent on humanitarian interventions in Uganda in financial year 2022/23. This funding will support vulnerable persons, particularly those suffering from undernutrition and food insecurity. In addition, in March 2022, a disbursement of £640,000 was made to the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide food assistance; this was part of an overall contribution of £6.74 million to WFP activities in Uganda in financial year 2021/22.

Commonwealth: Coronavirus

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2022 to Question 106747 on Developing Countries: Coronavirus, what discussions took place at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda on (a) progress being made by Commonwealth countries towards vaccinating their population against covid-19 and (b) the availability of assistance from the UK's international aid budget to assist in that effort.

Vicky Ford: At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Heads and Foreign Ministers had wide ranging discussions on pandemic recovery, which included vaccine coverage, economic factors, the vulnerability of small states and the need for wider health system strengthening.During our time as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, the UK has been at the forefront of the international response to COVID-19, spending over £2.1 billion since 2020 to address its impacts. Our funding has enabled COVAX to deliver over 1.58bn vaccine doses to 146 countries and territories, including 52 Commonwealth countries. The UK has also bilaterally donated over 85m doses of COVID vaccines, including to 18 Commonwealth countries. We are keeping further support under review.

Colombia: Homicide

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports that a recent attack by armed groups in the Colombian village of Puerto Guzmán, Putumayo killed the president of a cooperative established by former FARC combatants and injured several others.

Vicky Ford: The British Government remains concerned about the persistent level of violence towards former FARC combatants. We will continue to support the Colombian Government in its commitment to implement the 2016 Peace Accords and ensure the protection and safety of former FARC combatants.Through our Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund programme, which has provided £69 million in support of Peace Agreement implementation, security, and stability in Colombia since 2015, we will continue to prioritise funding interventions that help to protect former FARC combatants and other groups affected by violence.

Uganda: Maternal Mortality

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the maternal mortality rate in Uganda.

Vicky Ford: Support for reducing maternal mortality in Uganda is provided through the World Bank's Uganda Reproductive Maternal and Child Health Services Improvement Project (URMCHIP). The project is co-financed by the International Development Association, to which the UK has been contributing over £1 billion annually. The project aims to increase the availability of reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health care services countrywide. The UK is also helping to provide access to family planning commodities and building health systems capacity to deliver family planning services.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that Alaa Abd El-Fattah is released from detention in Egypt.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will meet with British national Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s family.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she raised the detention of Alaa Abd El-Fattah and the absence of consular access with her Egyptian counterpart during her meeting on 5 July 2022.

Graham Stuart: Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government urgently to grant consular access to Alaa Abdel Fattah. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for North Africa, raised the case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during a call on 21 May; Lord (Tariq) Ahmad and the Foreign Secretary also raised the case with Minister Shoukry during the Foreign Minister's recent visit to London.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: P&O Ferries

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has signed any contracts with P&O Ferries since 17 March 2022.

Jeremy Quin: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no direct contracts with P&O Ferries. However, I am aware that the Department has made use of P&O Ferries services since 17 March 2022 in support of operational requirements. The MOD will always seek to use alternate providers where this is possible.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, the total cost of the support his Department has provided to Ukraine as of 13 June 2022.

James Heappey: The Government has committed £2.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine. £1.3 billion of this is provided by the HMT reserve – funds that the Government sets aside for the most pressing emergencies. The additional £1 billion of support announced by the Prime Minister will be funded from across Government Departments underspend.

Cybersecurity

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to increase British defence cyber security following the recent compromise of the Army's social media accounts.

James Heappey: Cyber security requirements are set out in policy and achieved through personnel, procedural and technical means, all of which are constantly revised in light of changing threats, technological advances and lessons learned from incidents affecting Her Majesty's Government and others. The Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the compromise of the Army social media accounts. When this has been completed, consideration will be given to whether any aspect of the current security arrangements for Defence should change.

Armed Forces: Females

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s response to the Defence Sub-Committee’s report, Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life, published on 2 December 2021, what changes his Department made to the purchase, maintenance and use of uniform and equipment provided to servicewomen following the six-month sprint to accelerate existing work to tackle uniform and equipment improvements referred to in that response.

Leo Docherty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 June 2022 to Question 14580 to the hon. Member for Barnsley East (Stephanie Peacock).Armed Forces: Females (docx, 21.7KB)

Armed Forces: Females

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Select Committee's Fourth Special Report of Session 2021–22, Protecting those who protect us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report, HC154, what changes were made to the provision of wellbeing and healthcare support for servicewomen following the ‘six-month sprint’ to accelerate new Women’s Health Policies mentioned in that Response.

Leo Docherty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 June 2022 to Question 14581 to the hon. Member for Barnsley East (Stephanie Peacock).Armed Forces: Females (docx, 19.7KB)

NATO

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the UK’s obligations to NATO are fulfilled.

James Heappey: NATO remains the cornerstone of the UK's defence and security and we stand by our unwavering commitment to collective defence under to Article 5. of the Washington Treaty.Our Defence budget is currently the largest of any European Ally, with the UK exceeding its commitments under NATO's Defence Investment Pledge to spend 2% of GDP on defence.We send Armed Forces personnel to participate in every NATO operation and mission. RAF fast jets are conducting NATO air policing, Royal Navy warships patrol the High North and Eastern Mediterranean in NATO deployments and the British Army defends NATO's Eastern Flank in Estonia. Our nuclear deterrent also makes a key contribution to Euro-Atlantic security.At the NATO Summit, the UK confirmed its forward leaning offer to NATO's future New Force Model, making available more fighter jets, almost all of the Royal Navy, including Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, and more brigade-sized land forces. The UK also played a leading role in shaping NATO's new Strategic Concept to ensure the Alliance continues to adapt to future challenges.

Armed Forces

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of Armed Forces personnel.

James Heappey: The Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper made clear that we must focus on Defence capability rather than troop numbers in response to changing threats and priorities.There are currently no plans to revise the current targets for the size of the Armed Forces. However, Defence will ensure our strategic approach remains threat-led and as threats emerge, Defence will respond accordingly.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to provide medium-term military assistance to Ukraine.

James Heappey: Ukraine's current priority is rightly on the immediate fight. We continue to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine with both lethal and non-lethal aid. On 5 July 2022 the department announced a major new training initiative for Ukrainian forces.The UK continues to liaise closely with Ukraine to understand their medium-term priorities and what support the UK and international community can offer Ukraine, to help them continue to defend their sovereign territory.

Ministry of Defence: Advertising

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much their Department has spent on advertising in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Leo Docherty: A full departmental response could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The amount spent by the Department on advertising that is readily available for financial years 2019-20 was £37,181,434, 2020-21 was £34,202,240 and 2022-21 was £30,898,987. The figures in this answer are provided by the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and the Directorate of Defence Communications. The majority of expenditure is accounted for by advertising of the Armed Forces to aid recruitment.

Ministry of Defence: Data Protection

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to Answer of 12 July to Question 31721, how many data breaches have been reported to the Ministry of Defence's Joint Security Coordination Centre each year since 2010.

Leo Docherty: The information to answer your question is held centrally on the Joint Security Coordination Centre's Incident Management Database. However, it could only be provided at disproportionate cost.'Data breach' is a broad term, and can range from incidents such as a personal data breach, an authorised disclosure, a physical loss of documents or equipment, through to events such as cyber-attacks. As the Information Management Database does not specifically use the term 'data breach' to classify incidents, in excess of 40,000 records across 12 categories from 2010-2022 would need to be examined to ascertain whether they fall in scope of your question.I can reassure you that the Ministry of Defence seeks continually to reduce the number of security incidents and to improve security incident reporting. We have introduced policy, processes and tools to make reporting easier and more efficient and robust. For example, there is now a gov.uk page outlining the process.

Armed Forces: Females

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's response to the Defence Committee’s Second Report, Protecting those who protect us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life, published on 2 December 2021, when the Secretary of State and the Minister of State for Defence (Lords) have met representatives of servicewomen’s networks; and what the focus of those meetings was.

Leo Docherty: The Secretary of State personally tested the Ministry of Defence's response with the Defence Service Women's Networks to ensure the important issues highlighted by the Report were comprehensively addressed and that no opportunity was missed to bring about meaningful and enduring change.The Secretary of State and the Minister of State for Defence (Lords) are both committed to regularly meeting with representatives of our Servicewomen's Networks to understand the impact of changes being made and to enable our servicewomen to hold us to account and to identify opportunities for further continuous improvement.

Armed Forces: Disciplinary Proceedings

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s response to the Defence Sub-Committee’s report, Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life, published on 2 December 2021, if he will take steps to ensure that new measures are developed by the single services to ensure that commanding officers who, when found by the Service Complaints Ombudsman to have fallen short of expected standards in handling service complaints, receive appropriate, consistent and robust consequences that appear on their employment records.

Leo Docherty: Defence is committed to ensuring that there are tangible consequences for Commanding Officers when they have fallen short of expected standards in their handling of a Service Complaint. A tri-Service policy is being developed and will come into force in August 2022.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s response to the Defence Sub-Committee’s report, Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life, published on 2 December 2021, whether the review of policy to strengthen levers available to dismiss or discharge those who are found to have committed sexual offences or unacceptable sexual behaviour has completed.

Leo Docherty: The Ministry of Defence's 'Zero Tolerance to Sexual Offending and Sexual Relationships Between in Instructors and Trainees' policy came into force on 31 March 2022. Under this policy, all Service persons who are convicted of a sexual offence, or who are placed on the Sex Offenders Register, will be dismissed from the Armed Forces. Further policies to address other unacceptable sexual behaviours will be published shortly.

Armed Forces: Pastoral Care

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of the duty under section 149 of the Equality Act on the provision by his Department of pastoral support for armed forces personnel who hold religious and non-religious beliefs, including humanism.

Leo Docherty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 July 2020 to Question 35026.Armed Forces: Pastoral Care (docx, 16.9KB)

Armed Forces

Rachael Maskell: What recent estimate he has made of the number of armed forces personnel.

James Heappey: There are 196,240 service personnel currently serving in the Armed Forces.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2022 to Question 5341, on Armed Forces: Housing, when he expects construction to (a) begin and (b) be completed for the new build forces accommodation to replace a partially clad high rise building.

Jeremy Quin: Construction work to refurbish and build new additional annexes to Jervis Block is planned to start in mid-2023 and complete at the end of 2024.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2022 to Question 5341 on Armed Forces: Housing, what the location is of the high rise building that is (a) partially clad and (b) housing Forces personnel that will be replaced by a new build.

Jeremy Quin: The location of this building is Nile Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth.

Defence: Manufacturing Industries

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that defence manufacturers are prioritised within commercial supply chains to help avoid bottlenecks of critical materials needed for the manufacture of goods to be supplied to Ukrainian armed forces.

Jeremy Quin: We are working jointly with our suppliers through the Defence Suppliers Forum on supply-chain risks and fragility in order to safeguard all critical defence outputs, and work is underway to provide industry with a clear demand signal supporting defence priorities.

Fleet Solid Support Ships: Iron and Steel

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has targets for the proportion of UK steel to be used in the construction of the Fleet Solid Support ships.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to him on 11 January 2022 to Question 96776.Warships: Iron and Steel (docx, 19.9KB)

Warships: Iron and Steel

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much UK steel was used to construct (a) Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carriers, (b) Type 45 Destroyers, (c) Type 23 Frigates, (d) Vanguard class submarines, (e) Astute class submarines and (f) Trafalgar class submarines.

Jeremy Quin: Steel for our major defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers. Many defence programmes require specialised steels that are not currently manufactured in the UK; nevertheless, we encourage the sourcing of UK steel wherever it is technically and commercially feasible. UK suppliers make a significant contribution to the supply of steel for some of our largest defence equipment projects, for example around 88% of the structural steel for the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers was UK-sourced.As a result of a Ministerial answer provided on 9 March 2006, it is known that the Type 23 frigates contain steel from both British and overseas steel makers. However, owing to the time that has elapsed since the procurement of the Type 23 and Type 45 ships, the precise sources and relative quantities of steel used in their manufacture is unknown. There are currently no UK suppliers of the specialised steel required in the manufacture of submarine pressure hulls. Other grades of steel used in the manufacture of Astute Class submarines were sourced from a range of suppliers, including a number of UK companies. Owing to the complexity of the Astute programme supply chain and the time that has elapsed since the steel for the programme was procured, reliable information is no longer available on the tonnages of steel provided by each supplier, and I am therefore unable to state what proportion of the steel requirement was UK sourced.Pressure hull steel used in the production of the Vanguard Class of submarine was predominantly sourced from the British Steel Corporation's Dalzell plant in Motherwell, Scotland. Owing to the time that has elapsed since the procurement of steel for the Trafalgar Class submarines, reliable information on the source is not readily available. However, it is likely that the pressure hull steel was produced by UK manufacturers. It is also likely that for both classes other grades of steel were partly, or wholly, UK sourced.

Department for Work and Pensions

Cost of Living Payments

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claimants had the minimum income floor applied during the qualifying period for the first Cost of Living Payment with the 25 May 2022 deadline; and of those people, how many received a nil payment due to the minimum income floor.

David Rutley: During the qualifying period for the first Cost of Living Payment 80,660 Universal Credit claimants were subject to the minimum income floor (MIF) of which, 4850 earned below their minimum income floor and received a nil payment. However, the government is providing over £15 billion in further support. This package is in addition to the over £22 billion announced previously, with government support for the cost of living now totalling over £37 billion this year. This means with the £150 Council Tax Rebate and the £400 being paid to all domestic electricity customer millions of the lowest income households will get £1,200 of one-off support in total this year to help with the cost of living, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400. The Energy Bills Support Scheme has been doubled to a one-off £400 grant, and not recovered in future years. Energy suppliers will deliver this support to households with a domestic electricity meter over six months from October. This support is in addition to the £150 Council Tax rebate for households in England in Council Tax bands A-D, which was announced in February.

In-work Progression Commission

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Government plans to publish its response to the independent review of the In-Work Progression Commission.

Julie Marson: We aim to publish our response to the In-work Progression Commission's report in due course.This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, has the opportunity to start, stay in and progress in work. That is why we are extending the support Jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes to help them to increase their earnings and move into better paid quality jobs.Through a staged roll-out which started in April 2022, around 2.1m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid or better quality work. This support is being provided by Work Coaches and focuses on removing barriers to progression and providing advice, such as considering skills gaps and identifying training, or looking for progression opportunities for individuals in their current role or supporting them into a new role.  Jobcentres will be supported in this new role by a new network of 37 Progression Champions across Great Britain who will spearhead the scheme.  Progression Champions will work with key partners, including local government, employers, and skills providers to identify and develop local progression opportunities. They will also work with partners to address local barriers that limit progression such as childcare and transport.

Work Capability Assessment: Standards

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how performance compared with Work Capability Assessment contractual targets in relation to (a) quality of assessment, (b) claimant satisfaction, (c) speed of clearance for initial referrals, (d) percentage of outstanding initial referrals over 60 days old and (e) speed of clearance for end-of-life cases over the period of March 2018 to February 2022.

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how performance compared to Work Capability Assessment contractual targets in relation to (a) average speed of answering telephone calls, (b) percentage of telephone calls answered, (c) face-to-face consultation waiting times and (d) percentage of claimants sent home unseen over the period March 2018 to February 2022.

Chloe Smith: Provider performance is measured across a range of service level agreements setting out the department's expectations for service delivery. These include quality, performance delivery targets and customer experience. The monthly performance measures against contractual targets between March 2018 and February 2022 can be found in the attached PDF document.SLAs 2018-2022 (pdf, 88.2KB)

Personal Independence Payment: Standards

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the processing times for Personal Independence Payment applications.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has a set number of days as a target for clearance times for Personal Independence Payment.

Chloe Smith: While there is no target for clearance times, we are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner, taking into account the need to review all available evidence. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service, including using a blend of phone, video and face-to-face assessments, increasing case manager and assessment provider health professional resource and prioritising new claims, whilst safeguarding the continuity of existing awards to ensure they do not go out of payment. We are seeing an improvement in clearance times and the latest statistics show that the end-to-end journey has steadily reduced from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 20 weeks at the end of April.

Personal Independence Payment

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the recent cost of living increases on people claiming Personal Independence Payments.

Chloe Smith: In response to the increase in the costs of living, around six million people who receive a non-means-tested disability benefit will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150, including those in receipt of Personal Independence Payment. This is only one part of the government’s £15bn package of support and sits alongside Cost of Living Payments of up to £650 for means-tested benefits recipients, the first instalments of which are currently being made, payments to those eligible for Winter Fuel Payments and the extension of the Household Support Fund. This is on top of the £22bn the government has already announced to support households with the cost of living. In addition to specific targeted support, disabled people may also benefit from previously announced measures to help people tackle the cost of living, including:£150 council tax rebate£400 discount from energy billscuts to the Universal Credit taper ratefrozen alcohol duty and fuel duty andthe further rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour from April 2022.

Personal Independence Payment: Standards

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average processing time for Personal Independence Payments applications was as of 12 July 2022.

Chloe Smith: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Data on processing times for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Normal Rules New Claims to April 2022 (the latest available data) is published in Table 1A of the PIP Statistics tables which can be found here.

Work Capability Assessment

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Work Capability Assessments were carried out (a) face-to-face, (b) remotely and (c) on paper between March 2018 to February 2022.

Chloe Smith: The number and proportion of Work Capability Assessments (WCA) that have been carried out (a) face to face, (b) remotely, including telephone and video, and (c) paper based between March 2018 and February 2022, can be found in the tables below. The contractual performance in relation to assessments by channel over the period March 2018 to February 2022 is: Mar 2018 - Feb 19Mar 2019 - Feb 20Mar 2020 - Feb 21Mar 2021 - Feb 22Face-to-Face761,000762,00031,00027,000Remote00337,000487,000Paper-Based257,000292,000128,00083,000 With Channel proportion as: Mar 2018 - Feb 19Mar 2019 - Feb 20Mar 2020 - Feb 21Mar 2021 - Feb 22Face-to-Face74.8%72.3%6.3%4.5%Remote0.0%0.0%67.9%81.6%Paper-Based25.2%27.7%25.8%13.9% Please Note:All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 1,000Proportions are based on actual valuesThe above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards

Driving Licences: Chronic Illnesses

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the impact of delays in processing driving licence renewal applications on the quality of life of people with long-term medical conditions who have an entitlement to the Motability Scheme but are unable to drive while they await their licence.

Chloe Smith: I have regular discussions with colleagues across Government in my role as Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work. The Department is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability scheme. Motability is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the contract for lease of a car and the administration of the Motability scheme.

Working Conditions: Temperature

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of introducing a maximum working temperature.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits for employee wellbeing of introducing a maximum working temperature in work places.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will introduce a maximum working temperature in all workplaces to protect employees.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had recent discussions with workers' unions on the potential merits of introducing a maximum working temperature for workplaces.

Chloe Smith: Workplace temperature is one of the potential hazards that employers should address to meet their legal obligations under health and safety law. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 place a legal obligation on employers to provide a ‘reasonable’ temperature in indoor workplaces. Detailed guidance for employers on workplace temperature and thermal comfort is available on the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) website. This guidance includes information on how to undertake a thermal comfort assessment and specific measures that can be taken to improve thermal comfort. Responsibility to make workplaces safe and healthy lies with employers, who should consult with employees or their representatives to establish sensible means to cope with high temperatures. No maximum workplace temperature exists because every workplace is different. No meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces extreme temperature is not seasonal, but is created by work activity, for example, in a glass works or foundry. In such environments factors other than air temperature, including radiant temperature, humidity and air velocity, become more significant and the interaction between them becomes more complex with rising temperatures. However, it is still possible to work safely provided appropriate controls are present. HSE regularly reviews and, where necessary, refreshes the guidance published on its website.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what factors her Department will take into account when it next makes an assessment of the potential merits uprating of benefits; and whether the energy price cap will be taken into account when making that assessment.

David Rutley: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required to undertake an annual statutory review of benefits and pensions. She uses the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) in the year to September to measure inflation and average weekly earnings for the period May to July to measure earnings. The Office for National Statistics publish these figures in October. The Secretary of State must increase certain benefits by at least the increase in prices or earnings. If she considers it appropriate, having regard to the national economic situation and any other matters which she considers relevant, she may increase others by such a percentage(s) as she thinks fit. Her review will commence in the autumn and her decisions will be announced to Parliament in November in the normal way.

Cost of Living Payments: Self-employed

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claimants were gainfully self-employed during the qualifying period for the first Cost of Living Payment with the qualifying deadline of 25 May 2022.

David Rutley: During the qualifying period for the first Cost of Living Payment there were 307,440 Universal Credit claimants who were gainfully self-employed.

Universal Credit: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to begin issuing migration notices to claimants living in Wales following the resumption of the managed migration process on the 9 May 2022.

David Rutley: The Department is currently focused on the Discovery Phase of managed migration. During this phase we will work with small numbers of existing benefit claimants from different places across the country to focus on identifying what is needed to prompt and help someone to make a claim to Universal Credit. The first 500 notices were successfully issued in Bolton and Medway and we will now be expanding to new areas from the end of July, beginning in Cornwall. We are committed to ensuring that Universal Credit is rolled out smoothly by the end of 2024.

Local Housing Allowance: Uprating

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department conducted a public sector equality duty assessment on its decision to discontinue uprating Local Housing Allowance in line with the 30th percentile of market rates.

David Rutley: Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum financial support available for renters in the private rented sector. The Secretary of State has complied with her duties under the Equality Act 2010 in respect of her decisions on the LHA. Copies of the equality analysis for the decisions on LHA rates for 2021-22 and 2022-23 were placed in the House of Commons Library on 26 April 2022.

Universal Credit

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the financial implications for the recipients of Universal Credit of incorrect wage payments by large employers of low paid workers.

David Rutley: No assessment has been made.

Pensions: Widowed People

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average processing time is for applications to the Pension Widows Department.

Guy Opperman: The Average Actual Clearance Time for a claim to Bereavement Support Payment for the 3 months of the 2022/23 Financial Year was, April 22 14 days, May 22 13 days and June 22 14 days. Source: Output from Bereavement Support Payment Claims Manager Tool.

Children: Maintenance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Committee of Public Accounts ninth report on Child Maintenance, published on 22 June 2022, HC 255, if she will undertake a review of the child maintenance system and how it interacts with (a) wider welfare and (b) separated families policies.

Guy Opperman: The Department is carefully considering the Committee’s recommendations and will respond in due course.

Department for Work and Pensions: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publishes details about headcount and payroll costs for permanent staff and contractors on GOV.UK, monthly. DWP workforce management information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The DWP consultancy spend for the financial years ending 2020 through to 2022 is shown below. 2019/20 £4,570,6652020/21 £1,284,8612021/22 £1,041,058Information on the name of each consultancy contracted for each of the financial years is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the capacity of her Department's Data and Analytics team in relation to its (a) level of resourcing and (b) staff headcount; and what recent assessment she has made of the level of capacity being used within that team in July 2022.

Guy Opperman: DWP regularly assess Data and Analytics capability and capacity based on assessment of DWP requirements. Recently, DWP have assessed this requirement as part of the Spending Review settlement process alongside other priorities. This has included looking at the data and analytics outcomes that DWP need to deliver, and whether the technical infrastructure, capability and capacity are appropriately aligned.

International Pension Centre: Standards

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average processing time is for applications to the International Pensions Centre.

Guy Opperman: The Average Actual Clearance Time for a new State Pension Claim to International Pension Centre for the 2021/22 Financial Year was 108 days. Source: Output from Pension Strategy Computer System (PSCS)

State Retirement Pensions: Maladministration

Mrs Paulette Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people (a) currently at pension age or (b) close to pension age have had their state pensions affected by National Insurance contribution underpayments in error in each of the last 5 years.

Guy Opperman: In May this year, the Department published the report, ‘Fraud and error in the benefit system,’ available on gov.uk [here]. The detailed information requested is not available.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is her Department's policy (a) that the matter of changes to women's state pension age is resolved and (b) to continue to engage with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's investigation into the communication of those changes.

Guy Opperman: The Government, and all successive governments of different political persuasions, decided nearly 30 years ago that it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women as a long-overdue move towards gender equality. Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have found no fault with the actions of the DWP, under successive governments dating back to 1995. The courts found that DWP acted entirely lawfully and did not discriminate on any grounds. Work has now begun on the second Government Review of State Pension age which, under the Pensions Act 2014, must be published by May 2023. This Review will consider a wide range of evidence, including findings from two independent reports, to assess whether the rules about State Pension age remain appropriate. No one has reached any conclusions in this Review. The PHSO Ombudsman’s investigation into communication of changes to women’s state pensions is ongoing and section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”. We are cooperating fully with the PHSO in their investigation and will continue to do so.

Women against State Pension Inequality

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2022 to Question 14559 on Women Against State Pension Inequality, for what reason a departmental Minister has not met with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) since 29 June 2016; and why her Department has no plans to accept outstanding requests for meetings from WASPI representatives.

Guy Opperman: State Pension age issues have been debated extensively in the House over many years, and subsequently litigated in the highest courts in the land. The PHSO Ombudsman’s investigation into communication of changes to women’s state pension is ongoing; section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”. It would be inappropriate to discuss these issues whilst the PHSO Ombudsman’s investigation is ongoing. This is the approach of successive governments to such matters.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Sportsgrounds: Lighting

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of grow lights in sports (a) stadiums and (b) training facilities on levels of light pollution.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of grow lights and other artificial lighting in agriculture on levels of light pollution.

Steve Double: The Government recognises that light pollution may have an impact on the environment and biodiversity as well as affecting the health and wellbeing of people. Through the 25 Year Environment Plan, we have committed to reducing all forms of pollution, including light pollution. My department works with colleagues across government whose policy areas affect the use of artificial light, including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework policies include consideration of the impact of light pollution on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and nature conservation. Defra has also contributed to the development of the DLUHC Planning Policy Guidance on light pollution published in November 2019. The Government has put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through the statutory nuisance regime. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a duty to investigate complaints about light emitted from premises which could constitute a nuisance or be harmful to health and have powers to take action where there is a problem.

Lighting: Pollution

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the impacts of light pollution on (a) biodiversity and (b) human health.

Steve Double: Defra has funded or co-funded national and international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production. This report notes the effects of artificial light on nocturnal insects may be growing. Defra has worked with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenity, dark landscapes and nature conservation. Furthermore, Defra has contributed to the development of the DLUHC Planning Policy Guidance on light pollution, published in November 2019, which emphasises the importance of getting the right light in the right place at the right time and sets out the factors that are relevant when considering the ecological impacts of lighting. A range of measures are in place to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through controls in the planning system, the statutory nuisance regime and improvements in street lighting. We continue to work with partners including leading scientists to review the latest studies related to light pollution and ensure we continue to address key threats to biodiversity. As regards to the effects of light pollution on human health, specific research is limited. In 2018, the European Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks published an opinion on Potential risks to human health of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). It concluded that there is no evidence of direct adverse health effects from LEDs in normal use (lighting and displays) by the general healthy population. Full report can be found here: https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2019-02/scheer_o_011_0.pdf

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he will respond to the correspondence of 25 April 2022 from the hon. member for West Lancashire on support for the farming industry, reference ZA59529.

Victoria Prentis: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 13 July 2022.

British Overseas Territories: Rodents

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding the Government has provided to tackling rat populations in all UK Overseas Territories' islands in each of last five years.

Steve Double: The UK Government continues to support conservation and biodiversity in the Overseas Territories through various funds, including the Darwin Plus Programme. Over the last decade, the Darwin Plus programme has contributed over £38 million towards 180 projects in the UK Overseas Territories. We have committed £30 million over the next three years, to support environmental projects in the UK Overseas Territories through the programme.Whilst the Government continues to lead the way in funding, we encourage private finance and other sources to further support nature’s recovery.

Cats: Tagging

Dame Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to bring forward regulations to introduce the compulsory microchipping of owned cats.

Victoria Prentis: Our intention is to introduce a new, single set of microchipping regulations by the end of the year, which will incorporate changes to the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations and add the new requirement for compulsory microchipping of cats. This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Flood Control: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether officials in his Department have plans to hold meetings in the near future with the leadership of the River Severn Partnership on the prevention of flooding in Shrewsbury.

Steve Double: The former floods Minister Rebecca Pow met with the hon. Member and Professor Mark Barrow (Chair of the River Severn Partnership) on 23 May to discuss the steps to prevent flooding in Shrewsbury and managing the River Severn. Officials and the Environment Agency are continuing to follow up on the discussions from the meeting in May.

Recycling: Fees and Charges

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government's timetable is for responding to the consultation on preventing charges for DIY waste at household waste recycling centres which closed on 4 July 2022.

Steve Double: The consultation on preventing charges to householders for DIY waste closed on 4 July. The Government will publish a response in due course.

Global Resource Initiative Taskforce

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the report of the Global Resources Initiative working group on finance.

Steve Double: The report has been published on gov.uk and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-resource-initiative-taskforce.

Glycine

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of businesses that use Glycine in their (a) products and (b) services; and what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the impact of global Glycine price rises on UK businesses and supply chains.

Victoria Prentis: The UK's food supply is highly resilient. The day-to-day supply of Glycine is a commercial matter for industry, and they are well versed in responding to shortages without delay and with the least amount of disruption to the public. Defra works closely with industry to monitor supply issues relating to both food products and critical inputs in the food system. Defra further works to encourage diverse and resilient supply chains to protect consumers and businesses.

Question

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what budget has been allocated to the Landscape Recovery scheme.

Victoria Prentis: The Landscape Recovery scheme will enable farmers, tenants, charities, local authorities, national parks and other land managers to deliver landscape and ecosystem recovery through long-term, large-scale projects. Learning from the early pilots will help us to refine the scheme design and understand project-level funding needs. We will manage the overall farming budget to respond to demand in a way that helps achieve our intended outcomes, keeping the allocation of funding between different schemes under review over time. Consistent with the policy proposals set out in the Agricultural Transition Plan in November 2020, we plan to spend up to £50 million from the farming budget on Landscape Recovery pilot projects over the next three years.

Horse Riding

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support horse riding schools.

Victoria Prentis: Defra remains in close contact with the industry and meets regularly with the British Horse Council as well as other equine stakeholders including the British Horse Society to understand issues that are affecting the sector, including for riding schools.

Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to help ensure that the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill is compatible with the provisions of theAnimal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022.

Steve Double: Precision breeding technologies, such as gene editing, have the potential to improve the health and welfare of animals through enabling new traits to be developed more precisely and more efficiently than traditional breeding. We want to enable responsible innovation through these new measures, and we recognise that there is a need to safeguard animal welfare. That is why we are introducing proportionate regulatory measures to ensure that the health and welfare of animals that have been produced through these technologies is protected, in line with existing animal welfare legislation. In particular, the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill would require developers intending to market a precision bred vertebrate animal to provide a declaration confirming that they do not expect the health and welfare of the animal (and its offspring) to be adversely affected by any trait resulting from precision breeding.Defra’s Secretary of State will need to be satisfied with the declaration before issuing a precision bred animal marketing authorisation, which will be required before the animal can be marketed. This process will also involve an independent scientific assessment by an expert committee of the declaration and supporting evidence provided by the developer.The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 supports Ministerial accountability to Parliament in relation to all central government policy decisions that might affect the welfare of animals, including those set out in the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill.

Forests

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tree nurseries are operated by Forestry England; how many staff Forestry England employ in those nurseries; and what the total number of trees grown by those nurseries was in each of the last five years.

Steve Double: Forestry England operated two forest nurseries until April 2022, when Wykeham Nursery in Yorkshire was closed. Forestry England now operates a single nursery at Delamere in Cheshire. The table below contains a breakdown of tree production quantities and staff numbers (full time equivalent) for Forestry England nurseries over the past five growing seasons. YearWykeham Nursery Trees (Millions)Delamere Nursery Trees (Millions)Staff (FTE)Agency Staff (FTE)Total Trees (M)Total Staff17/1868.1434214.18618/192.88403810.87819/2065.8433911.88220/212.98.8433011.77321/223.68.6453412.279

British Overseas Territories: Biodiversity

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help reduce the reliance on private funding and charities in the conservation of UK Overseas Territories' biodiversity.

Steve Double: The Government has funded several environmental projects to address and eradicate invasive species, including rats, in the UK Overseas Territories. Total spends for the last five years below: 2018-19£413,2932019-20£1,005,7752020-21£444,7632021-22£520,1382022-23£562,867 (Approved funding for this financial year) It is not possible to identify amounts by individual species.

Home Office

Burglary

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings the Home Secretary has had on tackling domestic burglaries in each of the past 12 months.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

National Crime Agency: Inspections

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office inspects the work of the National Crime Agency; and whether any concerns have arisen during those inspections in the last three years.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

National Crime Agency: Colombia

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the National Crime Agency’s website and media reports, whether the National Crime Agency has taken steps to ensure (a) training of and (b) assistance with the collection of intelligence to Colombian officials does not endanger (i) human rights defenders, (ii) opposition politicians and (iii) journalists in that country, including through (A) potentially unwarranted surveillance and (B) targeted reprisals.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Care Leavers and Children in Care

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will commit to hold an inquiry or research into any deaths of (a) unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the care of local authorities and (b) young adult care-leavers who were formerly unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Suicide

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission an independent inquiry into any deaths by suicide of (a) asylum-seekers living in Home Office-provided accommodation and (b) unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young adult care-leavers in the care of local authorities.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Passports: Applications

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport applications were upgraded to the fast-track service in each month since January 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HM Passport Office: Recruitment

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many new staff her Department plans to appoint to roles within HM Passport Office in (a) July 2022 and (b) August 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Visas and Immigration: Vacancies

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many vacancies there are for roles within UK Visas and Immigration; and what proportion of those vacancies are being advertised for.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Nigeria

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Nigeria sought asylum in the UK in each of the last three years.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office publishes data on asylum and resettlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.Data on the number of asylum applications by nationality are published in table Asy_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to Q1 2022.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Home Office: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office does hold information on consultancy spending and reports this in the Annual Report and Accounts by financial year (April to March).You can refer to the links and pages below for the available published information that relates to consultancy spending:Pages 107-108 of the 2021-22 Home Office Annual Report and AccountsHome_Office_ARA_21-22_Final_-_Gov.uk.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)Pages 99-101 of the 2020-21 Home Office Annual Report and AccountsHO annual report and accounts 2020-21 (publishing.service.gov.uk)Pages 88-89 of the 2019-20 Home Office Annual Report and AccountsHome Office annual report and accounts 2019 - 2020 (publishing.service.gov.uk)The Home Office does not routinely publish the names of consultancy suppliers and obtaining this information at the level of granularity required can only be done at disproportionate cost.

Police Stations: Closures

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) police stations and (b) police counters have been closed in each of the last five years, by Parliamentary constituency.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office does not collect data on the number of closures of police stations or police counters.

Fraud

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings she has had with (a) victims of fraud or (b) their representatives in each of the last 12 months.

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many members of Home Office staff have roles dedicated to tackling (a) fraud and (b) cybercrime.

Stephen McPartland: The Home Office has a total of (a) 31 FTE to tackle fraud against businesses and individuals and (b) 31 FTE to tackle cyber-crime.Tackling crime, including fraud, is a top government priority and the Home Secretary meets victims of all crimes regularly.

Internet: Fraud

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimates her Department has produced or commissioned of the total financial cost of online fraud committed against individuals in the UK in (a) financial year 2020-21, (b) calendar year 2021 and (c) financial year 2021-22.

Stephen McPartland: Online fraud is a particularly pernicious crime that preys on some of the most vulnerable people in the country. Tackling it is a priority for this Government and we continue to work with all partners to protect the public and pursue fraudsters.As of March 2021, online fraud was estimated, using data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, at 58% of fraud while the volume of fraud against individuals was 4.65 million incidents. The most recent estimate (December 2021) of fraud against individuals was 5.2 million incidents

Covert Human Intelligence Sources

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her timescale is for publishing an updated code of practice for the treatment of juvenile covert human intelligence sources; and what stakeholders her Department has engaged with on the content of that update.

Stephen McPartland: The Government currently plans to publish the revised Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) Code of Practice in the autumn of this year. The CHIS Code provides comprehensive guidance to public authorities on their powers and duties in respect of CHIS, including children who are authorised as CHIS.As part of the consultation process, Home Office officials engaged with a wide number of stakeholders, including children’s charities, the Children’s Commissioner for England and Wales (and devolved equivalents), as well as users of the Code.In addition, on 13 December 2021, the Home Office launched a public consultation for a period of 8 weeks to seek views on the changes to the revised CHIS Code. The Home Office received a number of responses to the consultation and officials have been carefully considering all of these responses before finalising the changes to the Code.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Robert Jenrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with her US counterpart on that country’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation.

Stephen McPartland: Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.The Home Secretary routinely discusses counter-terrorism and state threat issues with her counterparts in the United States. It is not appropriate for the Government to provide a running commentary on those discussions.

Slavery

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the requirements of section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to public sector organisations.

Amanda Solloway: The Government is committed to continuously strengthening our approach to modern slavery and building on the world-leading legislation introduced in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. In 2018, the Home Office commissioned an Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act to understand where the Act has worked well and where it could be more effective.As part of its response, the Home Office conducted a public consultation on potential changes to the Modern Slavery Act’s transparency legislation which included a question on extending requirements to public sector organisations; 98% of respondents responded positively to this question, including 100% of public sector respondents.The government response to the Transparency in Supply Chains consultation announced that we will introduce legislation to require public sector organisations with a budget of £36 million or more to report on how they prevent and address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chain. As announced in the Queens Speech, we intend to bring this measure forward in the forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill.Many public sector organisations are already publishing modern slavery statements voluntarily, but this new duty will ensure parity between private and public sector organisations.

Slavery

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will have discussions with officials in her Department on the potential merits of strengthening the clarity and enforceability of section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 through (a) mandating specific topics in annual self-reporting, (b) setting a single deadline, (c) introducing effective penalties and (d) making that data publicly available.

Amanda Solloway: Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on steps taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.The Government response to the Transparency in Supply Chains consultation, published on 22 September 2020, committed to taking forwards an ambitious package of measures to strengthen the Act’s transparency legislation, including:Extending the reporting requirement to public bodies with a budget of £36 million or more;Mandating the specific reporting topics statements must cover;Requiring organisations to publish their statement on the Government modern slavery statement registry.In January 2021 the Government further committed to introduce financial penalties for organisations who fail to meet their statutory obligations to publish annual modern slavery statements. These measures require primary legislation and as announced in the Queen’s Speech, we intend to legislate in the forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill. The Home Office will engage with organisations so they are aware when the new reporting requirements will come into effect, so they have time to prepare. We will also publish new guidance to support organisations to meet the new requirements.In March 2021, the Government launched the modern slavery statement registry to radically enhance transparency by bringing together modern slavery statements on a single platform and making the data readily available for the public. Since launch, over 8,350 modern slavery statements covering over 28,000 organisations have been submitted to the registry on a voluntary basis.

Domestic Abuse: Reoffenders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an estimate of the number of domestic abuse victims killed by a partner previously convicted of a domestic abuse offence in each of the last 30 years.

Amanda Solloway: The Home Office does not routinely collect data on the number of domestic abuse victims killed by a partner previously convicted of a domestic abuse offence. However, the Home Office has funded the Domestic Homicide and Suspected Victim Suicides Project since 2020. This was led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing and hosted by the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme to monitor domestic homicides during the pandemic to build our evidence base on domestic homicides and domestic abuse perpetrators.The first 12-month report was published on 25 August 2021 and includes the analysis that of the 58% of all suspects previously known to police as suspects (133) and four-fifths (82%) were known to police for domestic abuse offending. This was a combination of suspects known solely for domestic abuse offending and those known for both domestic and non-domestic abuse offending. Expressed as a proportion of the whole dataset, this means that 48% of suspects were previously known to police for perpetrating domestic abuse.Reducing domestic homicide is a priority for the Home Office and as part of this in the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan published in March 2022, we have committed to improving our knowledge about domestic abuse through better data. Any improvements in data on and knowledge of domestic abuse can be fed back into the system to tailor and refine the response to domestic abuse.The Home Office continue to fund the Domestic Homicide Project in order to further build the evidence base on what works to prevent domestic homicide and the second year report will be published in Autumn 2023.

Members: Correspondence

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Warley of 10 March on delays in extension of applications for Further Leave to Remain.

Kevin Foster: A response was sent to the hon. Member on 6 July 2022.

Passports: Children

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the expected completion time is for a child's first passport application submitted in 2022.

Kevin Foster: All applicants using the standard service from the UK are advised to allow up to ten weeks to get their passport, including children applying for their first passport.

Visas: Applications

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2022 to question 32523 on Visas: Applications, for what reason writing to the hon. Member for Easington on visa application GWF064124251 would compromise (a) GDPR and (b) safeguarding rules; and when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Easington about that case.

Kevin Foster: We do not comment publicly on individual cases.The MP Account Management Team will reply to your correspondence on the procedural matters raised by 27 July 2022.

Passports: Applications

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing an independent assessment of passport processing times between March and May 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office is regularly audited by external organisations, which includes the audit of our passport operations.

Common Travel Area

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority on the potential merits of enabling travel within the Common Travel Area using biometric identification documents.

Kevin Foster: The Common Travel Area (CTA) is an immigration arrangement between the UK and Ireland, as well as the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey which allows British and Irish citizens to travel freely between the UK and Ireland and reside in either jurisdiction.As part of the CTA arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA, with no immigration checks whatsoever on the Northern Ireland-Ireland land border.However, individuals are still expected to comply with the UK’s immigration framework and where required most people who are not British or Irish citizens will need to show a valid passport on arrival if required by a Border Force Officer. The document must be valid for the whole time individuals are in the UK.There are no plans to change the document requirements on CTA routes.

Asylum: Applications

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many new staff have been appointed to asylum decision maker roles since 1 May 2022; and how many existing staff have left asylum decision maker roles since 1 May 2022.

Kevin Foster: Since 1 May 2022 152 new staff have been appointed to be asylum decision makers, and 57 staff have left the role.

HM Passport Office: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will assist the hon. Member for West Lancashire in securing a written response from the Director General of HM Passport Office to the letter dated 4 May 2022, reference ZA59626.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 12 July 2022.

Immigration: EU Nationals and Passports

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that adequate resources are allocated to help the timely processing of (a) UK passport renewals and (b) the EU Settlement Scheme.

Kevin Foster: Her Majesty’s Passport Office has added 850 staff since April 2021. This has helped to ensure that more passport applications are being processed than ever before, with the processing of approximately three million applications being completed between March and May.Processing capacity will increase further, with an additional 350 staff arriving within the summer. Within the EU Settlement Scheme, we are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand.Our aim is to process all applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) as quickly as possible, yet each individual case is considered on its own facts. Cases may take longer dependent on the circumstances of the case, for example, if the applicant is facing an impending prosecution or has a criminal record. Anyone awaiting the outcome of their application can evidence their rights with their Certificate of Application which is issued as soon as possible after a valid application is received.

Visas

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2022 to Question 22463 on Visas, for what reason the transparency data does not include the average processing time for spousal and partner visa applications.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office’s commitment is to process visa applications within the service standards which are offered. These can be found at:Out of country Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)In country Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Home Office Transparency data aims to set out how the department is performing against the commitments that have been made, in terms of the proportion of applications processed within the service standard that applied.Average processing times are not published in our transparency data for spouse and partner visa applications because these do not relate to the commitments which are made to applicants.

Asylum: Applications

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications are awaiting a decision.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications where substantive interviews have taken place are outstanding.

Kevin Foster: Home Office published data shows as of 31 March 20202 there were 89,344 initial asylum applications awaiting a decision. The Home Office are unable to state how many asylum applications where substantive interviews have taken place are outstanding because this data is not held in a reportable format. Published data on the number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision by duration, for main applicants only can be found in table Asy_04 of the published Immigration Statistics: List of tables - GOV.UK (List of tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Visas: Ukraine

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time was to process an application for a visa under the (a) Ukraine Family Scheme and (b) Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme for (i) adults and (ii) children in the latest period for which data is available.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any applications for visas under (a) the Ukraine Family Scheme and (b) Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme for (i) adults and (ii) children have been lost by her Department as of 11 July 2022.

Kevin Foster: UKVI have issued thousands of visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. The latest figures can be found here Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Applications are being processed as quickly as possible, with an aim of deciding the majority within 48 hours where we are able to do so.No Ukraine visa scheme applications have been lost.

Members: Correspondence

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for a response to be received from the MP's accounts team; and how many open cases there are as of 11 July 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Department does not publish average waiting times for substantive responses to correspondence.Performance against target has been impacted by a significant increase in the volume of correspondence received, including the unprecedented amount of correspondence about the situation in Afghanistan and more recently in Ukraine.The Department continues to prioritise enquiries related to Ukraine and recognises that it has not been able to meet service standard in other cases. Actions are being taken to clear backlogs and drive-up performance.Members can escalate urgent and compassionate cases via the team at Portcullis House or via engagement surgeries with the MP Engagement team.The Department continues to recruit additional resources and has recently been loaned staff from non-operational areas to assist in clearing the backlogs. A detailed recovery plan to support a return to an acceptable service standard is being prepared.Data about intake and performance in answering Hon. Members correspondence are published quarterly with the latest Quarter available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-q1-2022

Members: Correspondence

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of correspondence from hon. Members received by her Department's MP Account Manager in the last three months (a) received a reply within 20 days and (b) has not received a reply; if she will put in place a new mechanism for hon Members to escalate cases where there is a delay in responding beyond the 20 working day target; what estimate she has made of the level and extent of delay in responding to hon. Members on cases relating to (i) Ukraine, (ii) Afghanistan and (iii) other countries.

Kevin Foster: The Department works to a target of responding to 95% of Hon. Members written correspondence within 20 working days.Performance against target has been impacted by a significant increase in the volume of correspondence received, including the unprecedented amount of correspondence about the situation in Afghanistan and more recently in Ukraine.The Department continues to prioritise enquiries related to Ukraine and recognises it has not been able to meet service standard in other cases. Actions are being taken to clear backlogs and drive-up performance.Members can escalate urgent and compassionate cases via regular engagement surgeries with the MP Engagement team.The Department continues to recruit additional resources and has recently been loaned staff from non-operational areas to assist in clearing the backlogs. A detailed recovery plan to support a return to an acceptable service standard is being prepared.Data about intake and performance in answering Hon. Members correspondence are published quarterly with the latest Quarter available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-q1-2022

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Urban Areas: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) play areas and (b) child-friendly cities on trends in the level of growth for high streets and urban centres.

Lia Nici: As the analysis set out in the Levelling Up White Paper made clear, social capital is an essential part of successful places and interdependent with economic prosperity. Within the local growth funds, the second round of the Levelling Up Fund is open and my department welcomes bids for play areas from applicants. UK Shared Prosperity Fund will also play a role in allowing local authorities to develop parks and open spaces, with the primary objective to create greater pride in place through cleaner, greener and safer spaces.

Retail Trade: Buildings

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to create a growth strategy for new businesses on the high street to help facilitate (a) growth in urban centres and (b) moves from shared premises to single units.

Lia Nici: This Government is committed, through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, and the Levelling Up missions, to reinvigorate high streets and town centres.We want to see thriving town centres and high streets. Government has already taken strong action by cutting business rates for many retail, hospitality and leisure properties and providing billions in regeneration funding and provided new powers to help places to reinvent their high streets and town centres.High Street Rental Auctions will seek to increase cooperation between landlords and local authorities to make town centre tenancies more accessible and affordable for tenants, including SMEs and community groups.Rental rates reflecting market value will allow a broad spectrum of tenants to occupy town centre properties, who might otherwise not have been able to afford higher rents. For example, local SMEs and community groups. In turn this will increase vitality, footfall, pride in place and business growth.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.

Eddie Hughes: Figures for consultancy spend are included each year in the Department's annual report. The corresponding figure for FY2021-22 is expected to be published by the end of July 2022.Details of contracts awarded valued at £10,000 (inc VAT) or more are published on: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.Information on our spending, including consultancy, is published regularly as part of our transparency information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dluhc-spending-over-250-march-2022.

Park Homes: Sales

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the final report on the effect of the 10 per cent commission fee on the sale of mobile park homes will be published.

Eddie Hughes: We published the final report 'The impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission' on 16 June 2022.A copy of the report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-homes-the-impact-of-a-change-in-the-maximum-park-home-sale-commission.

Water: Safety

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Saffron Walden at the debate on Throwline Stations on 24 January 2022, what progress he has made on (a) reviewing coastal water safety, (b) raising awareness of the dangers of wild swimming and (c) ensuring landowners properly assess the safety requirements of bodies of water.

Paul Scully: The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Transport, has collaborated with stakeholders to issue the 'Managing Beach Safety' publication as well as the 'Respect the Water' campaign. The MCA is also involved with the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF). The responsibility for coastal safety lies with private beach owners, other foreshore area land owners and activity providers.The Environment Agency, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, encourages safe and responsible recreation on inland and coastal water and is responsible for safety on waterside assets it owns, operates or occupies (such as locks, weirs and bridges). It undertakes a comprehensive programme of public safety risk assessments of those assets and regularly inspects them to ensure that the provided risk control measures are well maintained.The Environment Agency has published advice on how to stay safe while visiting waterways: www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-safe-around-water. It is also a member of the National Water Safety Forum.

Future High Streets Fund

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to share learning with relevant stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of the High Street Fund.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to share best practice from the (a) High Street Fund, (b) Levelling Up Fund and (c) UK Shared Prosperity Fund bids.

Lia Nici: We are determined to learn lessons so we can continue to improve our support for regeneration and local places. My department is working with local authorities in receipt of Town Deals and Future High Streets funding to make better use of their knowledge and experience within the local growth space. Our Towns Fund website provides resources, contacts and support for Towns in receipt of Town Deals. The High Streets Task Force will continue to provide support to local leaders in their work to revitalise their high streets and town centres.To help the development of bids for round two of the Levelling Up Fund, all unsuccessful applicants who passed the gateway criteria and progressed to full assessment, were offered feedback on their unsuccessful bids. My department recently published guidance to support places in developing strong bids, which included a series of webinars to support the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and round two of the Levelling Up Fund.As announced in the Levelling Up White Paper, the Government will set out a plan for streamlining the funding landscape including a commitment to help local stakeholders navigate funding opportunities. We hope to publish this plan later this year.

Levelling Up Fund

Mrs Paulette Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to open the online portal for local authorities submitting bids to the second round of the Levelling Up Fund which was originally scheduled to close on 6 July 2022.

Lia Nici: I refer the Hon Member to the written statement made by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State (HCWS 207) on 15 July 2022.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department expects to (a) conclude the review of the levels of private parking charges and additional charges and (b) re-introduce the Private Parking Code of Practice.

Lia Nici: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 17171 on 21 June 2022.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the first payments from the Shared Prosperity Fund will be made.

Lia Nici: Following the submission of UK Shared Prosperity Fund investment plans, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will lead the validation of these plans. Once validation is complete and those plans have been signed-off, we anticipate places will receive their first payment from October.

Urban Areas

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to identify the types of anchor institutions on the high street that are effective at supporting highs street growth.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to ensure that property owners in an urban centre are required to ensure occupancy of their high street premises.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to provide additional assistance to high street businesses occupying premises with high rental costs.

Lia Nici: This Government is committed, through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, to reinvigorate high streets and town centres.We want to see thriving town centres and high streets. Government has taken strong action by cutting business rates for many retail, hospitality and leisure properties and providing billions in regeneration funding, however more is needed to help places to reinvent their high streets and town centres.High Street Rental Auctions will seek to increase cooperation between landlords and local authorities to make town centre tenancies more accessible and affordable for tenants, including SMEs and community groups.Rental rates reflecting market value will allow a broad spectrum of tenants to occupy town centre properties, who might otherwise not have been able to afford higher rents. For example, local SMEs and community groups. In turn this will increase vitality, footfall, pride in place and business growth.

Regional Planning and Development: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to measure and evaluate the impact of the (a) High Street Fund, (b) Levelling Up Fund and (c) UK Shared Prosperity Fund on tackling inequalities.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to monitor and evaluate the (a) High Street Fund, (b)Levelling Up Fund and (c) UK Shared Prosperity Fund delivery against objectives.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, over what time period the outcomes of the High Street Fund, Levelling Up Fund and Shared Prosperity Fund will be measured.

Lia Nici: The Monitoring and Evaluation Strategies for the Future High Street Fund and Levelling Up Fund are available on Gov.uk. These set out the department's plans for measuring and evaluating the impact both funds and the impact they have had on tackling inequalities.We plan to publish the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy for UK Shared Prosperity Fund later this year. These set out the department's plans for monitoring and evaluation for the fund.Current plans are to collect monitoring data to the end of the fund periods for the three funds. Plans for measuring longer term impacts beyond the end of the fund periods are currently being developed.

Planning Permission: Appeals

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many planning appeals are awaiting a Ministerial decision as of 11 July 2022; and what the average turnaround time is for those appeals.

Mr Marcus Jones: There are currently three recovered planning appeals awaiting a Ministerial decision. There are also two called in planning applications awaiting a Ministerial decision. We do not collect data on the average time taken to decide these cases. All such decisions are published on: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-applications-called-in-decisions-and-recovered-appeals.

Housing: Oxfordshire

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many zero-carbon homes were built in each local authority in Oxfordshire in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018, (e) 2019, (f) 2020 and (g) 2021.

Eddie Hughes: For 2015 and 2016, the requested information is not readily accessible. Figures for 2017-2021 are available via: https://epc.opendatacommunities.org/.

Cabinet Office

Fraud: Costs

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in the context of his Department's National Fraud Initiative, what estimate his Department has made or commissioned of the total financial cost of fraud in the UK against (a) individuals, (b) businesses and (c) the Government in (i) financial year 2020-21, (ii) calendar year 2021 and (iii) financial year 2021-22; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: The National Fraud Initiative (NFI) does not enable government to estimate the total financial cost of fraud in the UK as it only targets a subset of fraud risks and organisations. In financial years 20/21 and 21/22 (the last 2 year NFI programme cycle) NFI reported savings for government of £384m and £32m for the private sector. However, this only represents the fraud prevented and detected as a result of the NFI. Government does not have the breakdown of the cost of fraud as requested. However, total fraud in the public sector is estimated to be a minimum of £29 billion per year (pre COVID-19).

Efficiencies and Value for Money Committee

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what specific savings the Efficiency and Value for Money Committee has identified to date.

Michael Ellis: The Domestic & Economic (Efficiency and Value for Money) Committee is a Cabinet Committee. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees is not normally shared publicly.

Infected Blood Inquiry

Wayne David: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the report by Sir Robert Francis entitled Compensation and redress for the victims of infected blood: recommendations for a framework, published on 7 June 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recommendation 14 of that report on interim payments; and whether his Department is taking steps to implement that recommendation.

Michael Ellis: There are a number of complex issues arising from the recommendations in the Compensation Framework Study. These issues are under active consideration across government, including consideration of Sir Robert’s evidence to the independent Inquiry on 11-12 July. I will update the House as this work progresses.

Government Property Agency: Mitie

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if will place in the House of Commons Library a copy of the new Mitie Business Services organisational chart covering the Government Property Agency’s Affiliate Cluster.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: The department does not intend to publish this document because of commercial sensitivities and security considerations.

Department for International Trade

Indo-Pacific Region

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Minister of State for Trade Policy was officially representing the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office when she attended the Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue convened by the Hoover Institution and Annenberg Foundation Trust in California from 5 to 7 December 2021; and whether she was supported at that event by (a) officials and (b) briefing from that Department.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for International Trade has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Trade: Travel

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much her Department has spent on (a) flights, (b) accommodation and (c) food and drink for officials travelling to Indiana in the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for International Trade has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what the name is of each consultancy contracted.

Matt Warman: The 21-22 Annual Report & Accounts figures are subject to audit and expected to be published in early November. We are unable to provide data on consultancy spend prior to the conclusion of the audit.The 20-21 consultancy spend as per DCMS 20-21 published accounts (page 135) was £16.6m. The listing for the £16.6m is set out below and is net of a credit of £1.914m on reversed expenditure.The 19-20 consultancy spend as per DCMS 19-20 published accounts (page 135) was £3.9m. The listing for the £3.9m is set out below including £0.164m relating to corrections to the data.Details of all third-party government contracts, including the Supplier, are published on Contracts Finder above £10,000, for the core Department, and above £25,000, for the wider public sector.20-21 Consultancy Supplier ListingsSupplierAmount346 Consultancy Limited10,080.00Anthony William Catt1,000.00ANUBHAV JAIN5,000.00Astarte Limited1,800.00Bain & Company Inc UK906,100.00BBC Accounts Receivable13,000.00BDO LLP523,076.40Beckford Executives500.00Behavioural Insights Ltd9,570.00Brick Court Chambers5,250.00Cabinet Office (Citi Tr)126,718.18Climate Associates11,444.00Contemporary Visual Arts Network300.00Cornerstone Barristers- 270.00Corporate Blue Consulting Ltd5,700.00David Fogel1,500.00DB Consulting Group Pty Ltd6,600.00Deloitte LLP2,512,566.80Dentons UKMEA LLP660,208.30Department of Education50,400.00Digirep Nigeria Ltd12,384.25DLA Piper (Liverpool)330,557.49DLA Piper UK LLP (Leeds Office Only)201,473.12DLA Piper UK LLP (London Office Only)32,153.03DLA Piper UK LLP (Sheffield Office Only)146,966.20Dona Haj Ltd8,000.00Economic Insight Limited42,000.00Enterprise Academy International Limited19,999.00Ernst & Young (EY)2,499,356.70ETSI (European Telecommunications Standa123,880.66Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP111,293.03Faculty Science Limited294,500.00Faizal Asher Ismail2,500.00FarrPoint Ltd10,212.50Foreign Commonwealth & Development Off5,443.09Frontier Economics Ltd221,719.00Fujitsu Services Ltd133,440.00Georgina Ella Harding Limited2,500.00Government Actuary Department41,451.17GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS HQ (GCHQ)23,851.78Government Legal Department17,673.00Hazel Bees Consulting Ltd3,840.00Historic England- 2,058.34Home Office166,725.19Infrastructure & Projects Authority13,880.00Intelligent Risks Limited6,000.00International Association5,628.93Kantar UK Ltd23,902.20Knight Frank LLP45,000.00KPMG LLP159,285.00Lakesmith Consulting Ltd16,200.00Linklaters LLP136,000.00lnclusion in Arts UK Ltd150.00Local Partnerships LLP505,031.88Mace Ltd47,030.00Modern Art Oxford300.00Mr Christopher Knight - 11KBW4,301.67Mr George Peretz738.00Mr K Latham4,999.00NESTA26,000.00Oliver Wyman Ltd181,500.00ON PURPOSE CAREERS LTD30,768.62PA CONSULTING GROUP35,700.00Pentara Consulting Services Ltd30,000.00Pinsent Masons LLP613,539.58Plum Consulting43,250.00PRICEWATERHOUSE COOPERS LLP3,327,797.80PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP2,619,488.00Quo Imus Ltd T/a QI Consulting40,800.00Ryan Turner- 733.50Sarah McFadden2,305.20Savills4,677.00Scottish Contemporary Art Network - SCAN300.00Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service10,000.00Slaughter and May628,149.24SOCIAL JUSTICE COLLECTIVE LTD5,999.99Softcat Plc15,245.52Spark Ninety Limited45,330.00Stance Global Ltd35,412.00Tech Grow Limited2,500.00The Indus Entrepreneurs Bangalore324.08The Royal Academy of Engineering3,100.00THEM Design Ltd4,800.00TLT LLP153,119.12University of Cambridge4,800.00Up Spring Ltd1,000.00VAGW (Visual Arts Group Wales)300.00Veran Performance Ltd339,540.00Visual Arts South West150.00Webb Search Limited17,360.00West Midlands Combined Authority36,000.00Wysing Arts Charity300.00Yorkshire & Humber Visual Arts300.00Young Samuel Chambers (YSC) Ltd14,560.00YunoJuno Ltd8,736.00 - 1,941,548.06Grand Total16,609,721.82 19-20 Consultancy Supplier ListingsSupplierSum of Amount (Posted)2T Security Ltd72,300.003 Reasons Ltd12,000.00Alistair Lindsay16,350.00Annell Howard / Monckton Chambers- 20.00Anthony William Catt8,800.00Birmingham Organising Committee for the21,600.00Blackstone Chambers1,610.00Bloom Procurement Services Ltd75,455.00Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP14,252.80Classical Numismatic Group LLC50.00Climate Associates10,760.00Curvestone Ltd2,796.00David Fogel2,392.25David Miller150.00DB Consulting Group Pty Ltd11,000.00Deloitte LLP667,438.40Digital Radio UK (DRUK)1,200.00DLA Piper UK LLP (Leeds Office Only)- 570.32Dona Haj Ltd12,682.50Enterprise Academy International Limited5,000.00ETSI (European Telecommunications Standa127,406.10Faculty Science Limited281,400.00Farrer & Co LLP3,882.00FarrPoint Ltd5,700.00Film London19,900.00Foreign Commonwealth & Development Off73,783.14Frontier Economics Ltd99,325.00Global Partners Digital Ltd4,000.00GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS HQ (GCHQ)100,000.00Government Legal Department3,347.50Gowling WLG (UK) LLP10,628.18Hazel Bees Consulting Ltd26,880.00Historic England4,935.47HM Courts & Tribunals Service113,850.00HMRC (VAT payments)9,200.00Hogan Lovells International LLP99,725.00Home Office (Citi Trf)50,000.00ICF CONSULTING SERVICES11,268.00Infrastructure & Projects Authority24,000.00Ion Industries Ltd900.00Ipsos (Market Research) Ltd94,898.53Joanna van der Lande273.10KPMG LLP198,000.00Lakesmith Consulting Ltd65,233.35Martin Beisly Fine Art Ltd791.44Mass Inspire Limited5,180.49Matassa Toffolo Ltd- 926.50MHR International UK Ltd2,595.04Ministry of Defence1,153.12Miss Laura Smith50.00MKF Holdings Ltd t/a China Policy62,750.00Moorhouse Consulting Ltd25,000.00Morton & Eden Ltd50.00Mott MacDonald Ltd- 0.50Mr George Peretz720.00My CSP LTD12,464.40Ovum t/a Informa Telecoms & Media Ltd21,060.00PA CONSULTING GROUP135,600.00Pinsent Masons LLP680,143.56PRICEWATERHOUSE COOPERS LLP119,232.00QinetiQ Limited- 16,632.00Quo Imus Ltd T/a QI Consulting19,200.00Rochelais Limited T/a True & North1,080.00Ryan Turner5,262.50SALESFORCE COM EMEA LTD2,311.51Sally Osman10,000.00Savills187,698.00Social Innovation Camp Ltd3,840.00Sotheby's150.00Stance5,184.00Stance Global Ltd27,648.00Sundry Supplier - Non Staff Expenses832.73The Indus Entrepreneurs Bangalore2,370.63Thomas Upchurch4,999.00University of Cambridge4,500.00Up Spring Ltd5,000.00Venia Consulting Limited- 1,281.60Who Targets Me Ltd1,500.00Xansium Consulting Ltd5,998.80 164,624.96Grand Total3,863,931.58

Leisure: Facilities

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy to introduce emergency funding for (a) public leisure centres and (b) swimming pools to support their energy costs.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of ukactive’s June 2022 survey finding that 79 per cent of public leisure facilities say that without support for their energy costs, they are likely or extremely likely to cease operations within the next six months.

Nigel Huddleston: We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor pools and that swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the government continues to encourage Local Authorities to invest in swimming facilities.We recognise the impact rising energy prices will have on businesses of all sizes. Ofgem and the government are in regular contact with business groups and suppliers, including ukactive to understand the challenges they face and explore ways to protect consumers and businesses.Sport England has invested £9,564,322 in swimming and diving projects since April 2019, which includes £6,260,502 to Swim England. This is in addition to the £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund, which supported the reopening of local authority swimming pools throughout the country after the pandemic.

Football: Scotland

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events to include a broader range of Scottish football tournament finals.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government has no intention of further amending the list of events of national interest which are included in the Listed Events Regime.Although the listed events regime exists to ensure that events of national significance are available to as wide an audience as possible, this must be balanced with the ability of sporting organisations to generate revenues to invest in their sports at all levels. Broadcasting rights provide essential income, which enables sports national governing bodies to invest in better facilities for spectators, improve elite performance, hire the best coaches, and keep-up with mounting competition from rival sports and tournaments.

Commonwealth Games 2022

Mrs Paulette Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Commonwealth Games on the people and communities of Birmingham.

Nigel Huddleston: The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will deliver a fantastic legacy for the people and communities of Birmingham.A range of programmes are helping to boost jobs and skills; encourage more people to try sport; and engage young people in the Commonwealth through a National Learning Programme.We have invested £21m in a Business and Tourism Programme to encourage investment and visitors to Birmingham and the West Midlands, which will help to grow the regional economy.The significant core public investment in the Games of £778 million is creating a positive economic and social impact. It is creating new jobs, attracting visitors to the region and improving infrastructure that will benefit the local communities long after the curtain closes on the Games - like the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr.This public investment has also helped to unlock over £85 million additional funding from a range of public and third sector bodies including a £35m investment from Sport England to deliver a physical activity legacy and the £12m that has been invested in exciting arts and culture programmes across Birmingham, including £2m funding from Birmingham City Council for the Creative City Grants Programme.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club: Discrimination

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will make an assessment of the implications for its policies of claims of racism and discrimination at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government was extremely concerned by the reports of racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club. We are absolutely clear that racism has no place in cricket, sport, or wider society, and we expect all sports to take this seriously.We welcome the steps taken so far by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and YCCC but expect to see clear and sustained evidence of cultural change across the sport resulting from these actions and will hold them to account on this.The Government will continue to work with the Sports Councils, national governing bodies and sector partners on eradicating racism from sport.

Boxing: Safety

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has plans to take steps to improve the safety of white collar boxing events; and if she will make a statement.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the proposal by the national governing bodies for boxing that all unlicensed white collar boxing events in the UK should fully affiliate and comply with their minimum criteria, standards and requirements for those events; and if she will make a statement.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will ensure that unlicensed white collar boxing events in the UK comply with minimum criteria, standards and requirements set for those events by national governing bodies for boxing; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount.There will always be risks associated with participating in contact sport, but it is important that robust measures are in place to reduce the risk of major injuries and health issues.It is the responsibility of individual boxing event organisers to ensure that they protect the safety and wellbeing of their participants.We urge all boxing event organisers to work with the sport’s governing bodies to ensure robust standards are in place to protect the safety of those who take part.

Culture: Finance

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to provide funding for community-run projects with cultural significance; and how organisations can access this funding.

Nigel Huddleston: DCMS provides funding to community arts projects in England through a number of our arm’s-length bodies.Arts Council England is committed to supporting community arts projects, and has identified "Cultural Communities" as a key focus of its 10 year strategy “Let’s Create”.One example of Arts Council's investment in communities is through their Lottery-funded Creative People and Places programme. There are 41 CPP programmes covering 58 local authority districts across the country. This programme targets the least engaged places in England and has recently joined the national portfolio. Arts Council have invested over £38 million for the period 2022-25.As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) is equally committed to making a lasting difference to heritage, people and communities. NLHF provides National Lottery grants from £3,000 up to £5million for projects that connect people and communities to the national, regional and local heritage of the UK. The relevant regional office should be contacted for further information on how to apply for this funding.The DCMS arm's-length body Historic England have successfully launched their Working-class grants, receiving over 200 applications and doubling their funding pot. The grants recognise and celebrate Working Class Histories that link people to overlooked historic places.The National Lottery Community Fund is the arm’s-length body of DCMS which gives grants to organisations in the UK to help improve their communities. In 2021-22, as part of the National Lottery Community Fund Awards For All programme, 12,000 awards were made, reaching 90% of all UK wards, and includes support for a range of arts and cultural activities.The National Lottery Community Fund also made available £22 million towards the Platinum Jubilee to fund impactful community projects and to help people celebrate the Jubilee.

Destination Management Organisations Independent Review

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to respond to the Independent Review of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), published in August 2021.

Nigel Huddleston: Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) have the power to drive investment for new visitor attractions, bring in more visitors from around the world, and boost the local visitor economy.For DMOs to reach their full potential, however, we need to address long-running concerns about the structure, funding and fragmentation of England’s DMO landscape. This is why I asked Nick de Bois (Chair of VisitEngland’s Advisory Board) to conduct a detailed review of England’s DMO landscape last year.Mr de Bois’ independent review of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) review was published in September 2021. We aim to publish the official Government response to the review before the house rises for summer recess.

Gambling

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with stakeholders in the betting and gambling industry on the prevention of harmful gambling.

Damian Collins: As part of the Gambling Act Review, ministers and officials have had meetings with a range of stakeholders to support ongoing work and policy development, including with representatives of the betting and gambling industry. Records of ministerial meetings are published quarterly and are available on GOV.UK.

COP26

Carbon Emissions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the President of COP26, what progress the Government is making on each of the commitments it made at COP26, and whether it is on track to deliver all of them.

Alok Sharma: Delivery of the Glasgow Climate Pact is the top priority for the UK Presidency. The UK and Egypt recently convened Ministers in Copenhagen to discuss progress and heard strong commitment to deliver.Since COP26, and following the call in the Glasgow Climate Pact, there have been 16 NDC submissions. A further eight National Adaptation Plans have been published, meaning 2 billion people are now covered by adaptation plans globally. We recently held the 5th Energy Transition Council Meeting where countries reinforced their commitment to implement tailored solutions to decarbonise their power sectors more rapidly. Over 180 countries, regions, cities, and businesses have now signed up to the Zero Emission Vehicles Declaration.In total, six countries have endorsed the Agriculture Breakthrough, with Morocco and Sweden endorsing at Stockholm+50. On the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, where 145 countries committed to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, we are working closely with key signatories to establish a new annual meeting to drive the delivery of this goal.We have continued the push to mobilise finance to support energy transition, including the announcement of progress on four new Just Energy Transition Partnerships at the G7 summit. We are working with international partners to meet the $100bn delivery plan for public finance and the doubling of adaptation finance by 2025.

Women and Equalities

Women and Equalities: Advertising

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how much their Department has spent on advertising in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Amanda Solloway: The Equality Hub (EH) consists of the Government Equalities Office (GEO), Race Disparity Unit (RDU), Disability Unit (DU) and Social Mobility Commission.a) The Equality Hub did not incur any expenditure against advertising in 2019-20b) The Equality Hub did not incur any expenditure against advertising in 2020-21.c) The Equality Hub spent £62,000 on advertising in 2021-22.d) The Equality Hub has not incurred any expenditure against advertising in this financial year to date.Expenditure incurred in the remainder of the financial year will be reported in the usual way.